aaxiwn 'OO NHXHVPVE-aAVOl

SIHX
WOHd

HHX
3A0IMaH

ION oa

o}uojoi }o XijSjaAjUfl

*rf*'-i«i

COULl'li-

m AID A M IS IS Ij "i 2. A -B "_S a' ^Jrl

MEMOIES

QUEENS OE ERANCE.

INCLUDING

A MEMOIR OF HER MAJESTY;

THE

LATE QUEEN OF THE FKENCH

(MARIE AMELIE).

BY MRS. FORBES BUSH.

FROM THE SECOND LONDON EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.— VOL. 1. rA

PHILADELPHIA:

A. HART, LATE CAREY & HART.

1852.

Printed by T. E. & P. G. Collies.

TO HER MAJESTY,

iJlarie ^melie,

QUEEN OF THE FRENCH,

THESE MEMOIRS

ARE, BY GRACIOUS PERMISSION,
INSCRIBED BT
HER MAJESTY'S FAITHFUL AND OBLIGED SERVANT,

ANNIE FORBES BUSH.

PREFACE

TO

THE SECOND LONDON EDITION.

The very favourable impression which the publication
of this work occasioned, as well on the Continent as in
London, obtained for the author a most gracious permis-
sion from the Queen of the French, to dedicate it to
Her Majesty.

Flattered by so gracious a mark of Her xMajesty's
condescension and favour, the Author has been induced
to add a Memoir of the Queen of the French, obtained
from sources exclusively authentic, and never before
published. She may here, perhaps, be permitted to
state, that the whole of the Memoirs were written in
France, and compiled exclusively from researches in
that country. She gratefully acknowledges the com-
mendation of the press generally, and trusts to as favour-
able a reception of the present edition.

Paris, July.

1 *

^ (5)

CONTENTS.

Queen Easine ....

Queen Clotilde, Clodoilde, or Crotilde

Queea Ultrogotlie

Queen Ingonde

Queen Aregonde

Queen Gondique

Queen Chusene, or Gonsinde

Queen Kadegonde

Queen Waldrade

Queen Ingoberge

Queen Miroflede

Queen Marcoueve

Queen Teudegilde

Queen Audovere

Queen Galsuinde .

Queen and Regent Fredegonde

Queen Haldetrude

Queen Bertrude

Queen Gomatrudc

Queen and Regent Nantilde

Queen and Regent Bathilde

Queen Blitilde, or Bilichildc

Queen Clodoilde

Queen Bertha

Queens Ilermengarde and Hildegarde

Queen Fastrade

Empress Luitgarde

PAGE

17
20
28
29
31
32
32
32
38
38
39
40
40
42
44
4G
58
69
GO
Gl
G2
G5
GG
68
70
72
73

(7)

CONTENTS.

Empress Hermengarde

Empress Judith .

Empress Hermentrude .

Empress and Regent Richilde

Empresses Ausgarde and Alice, of England

Empress Ricliarde

Queen Frederune

Queen Odive, or Ogive

Queen Emine

Queen Gerberge .

Queen and Regent Emma

Queen Blanche of Aquitaiue

Queen Adelaide .

Queen Bertha

Queen Constance .

Queen Anne of Russia .

Queen Bertha of Holland

Queen Bertrade de Montfort

Queen Adelaide, or Alice of Savoy

Queen Eleonor of Guyenne .

Queen Constance of Castile .

Queen and Regent Alix de Champagne

Queen Isabella of Hainault

Queens Ingborge of Denmark, and Agnes de

Queen and Regent Blanche, of Castile

Queen Margaret of Provence

Queen Isabella of Arragon

Queen Mary of Brabant

Queen Jane of Navarre

Queen Margaret of Burgundy

Queen Clemence of Hungary

Queen Jane of Burgundy

Queen Mary of Luxemburg

Queen Jane d'Erreux .

Queen Jane of Burgundy

Queen Blanche of Navarre

Queen Jane of Auvergne

Merj

CONTENTS.

IX

Queen Jane of Bourbon

Queen and Regent Isabella of Bavaria

Queen Mary of Anjou

Queen Charlotte of Savoy

Anne of France, Regent

Queen and Regent Anne of Brittany

Queen Jane of France . .'

Queen Anne of Britanny

Queen Mary of England

Louisa of Savoy, Regent

Queen Claude of France

Queen Eleonor of Austria

Queen and Regent Catherine de Medici

Queen Mary Stuart

Queen Elizabeth of Austria .

Queen Louisa of Lorraine

205
207
222
239
246
254
259
263
270
274
282
284
297
823
340
348

QUEENS OF FRANCE.

MEPtOVINGIxVN RACE.

QUEEN BASINE.

(Reign of ChilJeric I.)

Four hundred years after the commencement of the
Christian era, the northern barbarians, "who Avcre at-
tracted towards Gaul by the beauty of the country, and
the salubrity of the climate, made incursions into tlic
Gallic States, then in the possession of the Romans,
who, under Julius Csesar, had been ten years in achiev-
ing this conquest, and who fought long and bravely to
preserve tliat which their predecessors had obtained with
so much difficulty. The Romans, however, experienced
an entire defeat under their general, Syagrius, and in
the year 48G Gaul fell into the power of the Franks who
were commanded by their chief, Chlodovich, or Clovis

(from which name that of Louis is derived), and from
2 * (17)

18 QUEEN BASINE.

that period the name of France was bestowed on Gaul
by its conquerors.

Clovis was the first chief who bore the title of King
of France ; for although several of his predecessors had
acquired great advantage in their attacks upon the Ro-
mans, hitherto they had ultimately been repulsed with
such vigour that they were frequently obliged to re-
cross the Rhine; and Clovis was the first who resided
as sole conqueror in France. The trifling importance
attached to the greater number of the first race of
kings, the similarity of their names, and, above all, the
continual division of their states, inevitably introduced
a degree of confusion into their history.

Prior to the entire subjugation of Gaul by the Franks
under Clovis, four French chiefs had successively reigned
over a part of the country as kings ; but very little is
known of them, France having been at that time
shrouded in the mist of barbarism.

History afi"ords no record of the names of the wives
of the first three of those kings, — Pharamond, Clodion,
and Merovee. Fredcgher recounts, that the wife of
Clodion, bathing one day in the sea, was surprised by
a monster, by whom she had the warlike Merovee,
whose glorious conquests entitled him to give his name
to the kings of the first race. Basine was the wife of
the fourth chief, Childeric I.

This prince resided at Tournai, and was for some time

QUEEN 13ASINE. 19

an object of love and loyalty to the Franks ; but he was
of libertine habits, and caused his captains and principal
officers so much indignation by his treatment of their
wives and sisters, that they deposed him in the year of
our Lord 460, when he took refuge in Thuringia, a
province of Saxony, where he received an asylum, and
a warm welcome from the king.

Childeric did not forego his love of pleasure, though
it had cost him his government. Being young, hand-
some, and courageous, he attracted the admiration of
the queen, Basine, whose husband, the king of Thurin-
gia, unsuspicious of the criminality of either, had com-
manded her to receive the exiled prince with the utmost
friendship. Childeric was regardless of the laws of hos-
pitality, and conceived an attachment for his protector's
wife, which lasted during the eight years that he re-
mained at the court of Thuringia.

At the expiration of this time the Franks recalled
their chief, in the year 468 ; and after his departure,
Basine declared herself incapable of enduring the sepa-
ration, and leaving her husband and children, rejoined
him at Tournai, declaring that " if she could find a
prince still more brave than Childeric, she Avould devote
herself to hira." This false and criminal mode of rea-
soning was approved by Childeric, who received her, and,
as in those days of ignorance and paganism nothing but
actual possession constituted the marriage bond, she bo-

20 QUEEN CLOTILDE.

came his wife. According to the historians who have
left annals of those times, the king of Thuringia was not
oifcnclecl at this desertion of him by his queen, or at the
treachery of his guest and friend.

This princess possessed so much more ability and ac-
quirements than the generality of her sex at that epoch,
that she exercised great influence over the minds of the
vulgar, and was believed to be a sorceress. She had
three children while she was the wife of the king of
Thuringia, and after her marriage with Childeric became
the mother of Clovis, the most illustrious chief and con-
queror of the Franks, and the first Christian king who
reigned over France. She also gave birth to two daugh-
ters, of whom one, Lantilde, married Theodoric, king of
the Visigoths.

The precise time of Basine's death cannot be ascer-
tained, but it is certain that she survived her husband.

QUEEN CLOTILDE, CLODOILDE, OR CRO-
TILDE.

(Eeign of Clovis.)

Previously to his marriage with Clotilde, Clovis had
a wife of whom nothing is known, beyond that of her
being the motlier of Thicrri, who afterwards shared some

QUEEN CLOTILDE. 21

portion of the government "with his brothers by the se-
cond marriage.

Clotilde -was the daughter of Chilperic, king of Bur-
gundy. During her childhood, her uncle Gondebaud,
who was ambitious of wrestino; the kingdom from the
hands of his elder brother, raised forces and brought an
army against him. Chilperic was unsuccessful in his
opposition, and being taken prisoner, he and his two
sons were put to death by order of Gondebaud, and his
wife thrown into the Rhone. Satisfied with having thus
fed his cruel vengeance, he spared Clotilde in consider-
ation of her sex and tender age, and bestowed great care
and attention on the young orphan, whom he caused to
be educated in the Catholic religion, which he himself
professed without practising.

Clovis, who deemed that an alliance with so powerful
a neighbour was desirable, sent ambassadors to demand
the hand of Clotilde in marriage. She was then fifteen
years of age, and extremely beautiful.* Although Clo-

* The circumstance is represented as follows in a scene of Odysee.
The Gaul, Aurelian, disguised as a mendicant and carrying a wallet
on his back, is charged to deliver a ring which Clovis sends to Clo-
tilde. Aurelian arrives at the gates of the town (Geneva), where
he finds Clotilde sitting in company with her sister Saedchlemba,.
both of whom are engaged in exercising their hospitality towards
travellers. Clotilde expresses her desire to wash the feet of Aure-
lian, who, leaning towards her, informs her in a low tone that he

22 QUEEN CLOTILDE.

vis did not profess Christianity, Gondebaud feared to
oifend the young conqueror, whose very name inspired
terror, by refusing his demand ; while Clotilde, who was
delighted at the brilliant prospect offered her, and desi-
rous to quit an uncle for whom she felt no affection,
eagerly accepted the proposal. In consequence she was
solemnly espoused in the name of the King of France

has impoi'tant news to communicate to lier, if slie "nill conduct him
to a retired spot. Clotilde bids him speak, and Aurellan tells her
that his master, Clovis, earnestly desires to espouse her, and to as-
sure her of the sincerity of his intentions sends her his ring. Clo-
tilde accepts the gift, an expression of joy animates her countenance,
she presents the messenger with a hundred sous in gold as a reward
for his trouble, and sends back her own ring to Clovis, bidding him
to send ambassadors promptly to her uncle. Aurelian departs and
falls asleep on the way, during which a mendicant robs him of his
wallet, which contains Clotilde's ring ; the robber is found and beate'n
with rods. Clovis sends ambassadors, to whom his bride is confided,
and who conduct her in a litter. Clotilde fearing to be pursued by
her enemy, Aridius, whose persuasions may have changed the reso-
lution of Gondebaud, and being impatient to proceed, mounts a
horse, and gallops over the country. Aridius, who arrives at Ge-
neva from Marseilles, assures Gondebaud that Clotilde will not fail
to avenge her relations, aided by all the power of the Franks ; and
the terrified Gondebaud pursues Clotilde, who, foreseeing what would
happen, had given orders to burn and ravage the laud for fifty miles
behind her. When safely arrived, she fervently thanks heaven for
granting her the commencement of the vengeance she intends for the
murderer of her parents.

QUEEN CLOTILDE. 23

bj a noble Gaul, named Aurelian, who presented her
with a denier, as a token of the union. This niarriasre
took place in the year 493.

Every endeavour was made by the two sovereigns,
Gondebaud and Clovis, to render this union brilliant.
Clovis awaited the arrival of the young Queen at Sois-
sons, which she entered seated in a magnificent chariot
drawn by bulls, and loaded with rich presents from Gon-
debaud. She was hailed with joyful acclamations by
the Franks as well as by the conquered people, the latter
of whom were devotedly attached to the Christian faith,
which was the religion of their birth, as it led them to
hope that the king of the Franks would one day be in-
duced to embrace it, on account of the reputed piety of
his queen ; and they were not disappointed. Clotilde's
fascinating manners and zealous arguments made a very
forcible impression on her husband, which political affairs
contributed to heighten.

The Suabians and Bavarians, two barbarian nations
who, like the Franks, were from Germany, invaded Gaul,
for the purpose of disputing its rich territories. Clovis
hastened to encounter them, and gave them battle at
Tolbiac, on the borders of the Rhine, near Cologne.
Thcvevent of the contest Avas for some time doubtful,
both armies fought furiously, and on each side there was
great slaughter ; but seeing his troops hesitate, in a

24 QUEEN CLOTILDE.

moment of extremity the prince invoked the God whom
Clotilde worshipped, swearing to embrace her faith if he
vanquished his enemies. He then rallied and encou-
raged his soldiers, and. after a severe contest, succeeded
in putting the Germans to flight in the year 496.

Immediately after concluding this victory, Clovis ab-
jured heathenism and embraced Christianity, with great
pomp and solemnity, at Rhelms, where he was baptized
by Saint Remi ; and the greater number of Franks,
following his example, became Christians. The Church,
in consideration of this addition to its followers, and in
remembrance of the act, has canonized Clotilde.

Notwithstanding his adoption of the Christian reli-
gion, Clovis sullied his hands with many barbarous mur-
ders ; and the queen, equally vindictive, has left in her
annals many atrocious acts to attest the cruelty of her
disposition. She considered all her own enemies as the
enemies of God. Deaf to the claims of gratitude, she
excited Clovis not only to murder Gondebaud, but
manifested the same bitter sentiments of hatred towards
the sons that she had displayed towards the father.

After the death of Clovis, which occurred in 511,
Clotilde left Paris, where she and her husband had
resided in the Palace of Thermos — formerly the ab^de
of the Emperor Julian, when he reigned in glory and
tranquillity over the Gauls — and retired to Tours, for

QUEEN CLOTILDE. 25

the purpose of devoting herself to religious observances,
near the tomb of St. Martin.

Clovis left four sons, the three youngest — Clodomir,
Childberg, and Clotaire — by Clotilde.

Notwithstanding her attention to religious observ-
ances, this queen had still leisure to devote to sundry
acts of vengeance. She was incessant in her exhorta-
tions to her sons to persecute the children of her mur-
dered uncle Gondebaud ; and they were but too ready
to yield to her criminal entreaties. The result was that
the inheritor of the crown of Burgundy fell a victim to
the instigations of this fierce and unnatural woman : in
the year 524 he was thrown into a well, after witnessing
the decapitation of his wife and children. Ilis brother
escaped assassination, and Clotilde's eldest son, Clodo-
mir, perished in pursuit of him.

After the death of Clodomir, Clotilde declared his
three sons, Theodobert, Gonther, and Clodoald, heirs to
the throne of their father ; but her two surviving sons,
worthy of such a mother, opposed their succession, de-
termining to usurp the kingdom ; and in order to effect
their purpose they availed themselves of an opportunity
to seize the young princes, and convey them away from
the protection of Clotilde. Not content with this insult,
they sent one of their satellites, named Arcade, to Tours
with a poignard and a pair of scissors, informing her

VOL. I. — 3

20 QUEEN CLOTILDE,

that she might choose between the death of her grand-
cliildrcn or the depriving them of their hair, as the
greatest mark of indignity they could offer to the
throne.*

The queen hoped that their respect for herself would
induce them to yield the succession to her grandsons, and
desired the messenger to inform Childberg and Clotaire
that she would rather be witness to their death than that
they should be deprived of their sceptre or condemned
to a monastic life. In consequence of which these fero-

* The Franks swore by the hair of their heads ; none but persons
of distinction being permitted to wear long hair. At the age of
twelve the hair of children of the common class was first cut, which
was the origin of a family fete called Capitolatoria. Conspirators
were condemned to cut off each other's hair. The Visigoths at-
tached the same importance as the Franks to long hair: in the year
628 a canon of the Council of Toledo- declared that none who had
suffered their hair to be cut could succeed to the throne. Clovis
and his companions, on returning from the conquest of the Visigoths,
ofFered some of the hairs of their head to the bishops as pledges and
promises of protection.

Thierry III. recovered his royalty and dignity, which he had lost
with his hair, but which returned when it grew again.

Clovis having ordered the hair of King Caravick to be taken off,
that sovereign shed tears at the shame with which that act over-
whelmed him; when his son consoled him with these words : — "Zm
feuilles tordues stir les bois vert ne se sont pas sechees ; dies renaissent
prompiennnt." — (Chateaubri.\nd.)

QUEEN CLOTILDE. 27

cious uncles strangled two of the unhappy children with
their own hands, and confined a third in a cloister,
where he remained until his death, and is invoked hy
the Catholic Church till this day under the title of St.
Cloud.

Doubtless the pangs of remorse hastened the career
of this unprincipled woman, who lived too long for the
happiness of her people. Before her death she had the
grief of seeing her two sons opposed to one another on
the field of battle.

It was the conduct of this queen which caused tho
introduction of the Salique Law into France. The
Church honoured Clotilde as a saint, but History ranks
her amongst the worst of queens.

Clotilde died in the year 568, aged seventy-seven, and
was interred at Paris with great pomp, by the side of
her husband, Clovis, in the Church of Saint Peter and
Saint Paul, now called Saint Genevieve. She gave
birth to four sons, — Ingomere, who died young ; Clodo-
mir ; Childberg, first king of Paris ; and Clotaire, first
king of France. She had also two daughters, — Clotilde,
who was married to Amaury, a prince of the Visigoths ;
and Childesinde, who was dedicated from her youth to
the church.

28 QUEEN ULTEOGOTHE.

QUEEN ULTROGOTIIE.

(Reign of Childberg I.)

Ultrogothe -was a native of Spain, but of the cir-
cumstances relative to her introduction into France
there is no record. She was married to Childberg I.,
afterwards king of Paris, in the year 511.

Very little is known of this princess, but the monks,
who were almost the only persons in those days who
could either read or write, have chronicled her amongst
the most virtuous and devout of women ; that she was
strict in her religious observances, and generous towards
churches and monasteries, there is no doubt, and that
circumstance alone was quite sufficient to render her
an object of praise to her pious historians, whose
rhapsodies have often built up the reputation of princes.
She lived in the palace of Thermes de Julien, with her
husband. This palace, which was the ordinary resi-
dence of the first race of kings, was surrounded by beau-
tiful gardens, which the queen and her daughters Crot-
berge and Crodesindc were in the habit of frequenting
on their daily visit to the church of Saint Germain-des-
Prds, which was built in the centre of the palace gar-
dens. The erection of the church of Saint Germain
I'Auxerrois is attributed to this queen.

QUEEN INGONDE. 29

Ultrogotlie was the only v.^ife of Childberg ; a very
remarkable circumstance in the epoch in which she lived.
Her husband died in the year 558, without leaving an
heir, consequently the whole monarchy of France was
reunited under his brother Clotaire, whose first act of
authority was to expel Ultrogothe and her daughters
from the palace of Thermes ; she was, however, after-
wards recalled by his son and successor Cherbourg.
During her exile she remained at Tours, near the tomb
of Saint Martin ; but on the invitation of Cherbours: she
returned to Paris, and expired in the year 573, at the
king's palace. Her daughters never married ; they
were interred by the side of their parents at Saint Ger-
main-des-Pr^s.

QUEEN INGONDE.

(Reign of Clotaire I.)

Ingonde was the first wife of Clotaire I. She was
of low extraction, but remarkable for her beauty and
gentle disposition. She was honoured with the title of
queen in the year 517, when Clotaire was only king of
Soissons.

This queen had six children, the first two of whom
died young ; the other four were Cherberg, King of

30 QUEEN INGONDE.

Paris ; Goutran, king of Orleans ; Sigibert, king of Aus-
trasia ; and Clodosinde, queen of the Lombards.

At tliis epoch, one of the greatest possible marks of
distinction and superiority of rank was a plurality of
"wives, and the first race of French kings admitted of no
difference between those whom they honoured with the
title ; all were Avives, and all queens. The offspring of
each took rank indiscriminately according to age, and
the eldest son was heir to the throne of his father.

It was not unusual for the kings and most illustrious
chiefs in those days, to choose partners from amongst
simple villagers, or even from their slaves and vassals.
At a later period, the fundamental laws respecting mar-
riage portions, and the exhortations of the clergy, who
succeeded in inducing them to solemnize their unions by
receiving a religious benediction at the altar, gave a
more serious and august character to those who possessed
the rank of queen ; nevertheless, the confusion of wives
and children caused by the system of polygamy which
was pursued, did not cease until the reign of Charle-
magne.

Ingonde was for some time the only wife of Clotaire I.,
who was passionately and exclusively attached to -her,
and granted her every desire she expressed ; conse-
quently she became the medium by which many favours
were obtained from the king. Her sister Aregonde

QUEEN AREG-ONDE. 31

being unmarried, Gregory, Bishop of Tours, persuaded
the queen to petition her husband to procure lier a
suitable alliance. The following is the oriental style of
language he used on the occasion : — " Le roi, mon
seigneur, a fait ce que lui a plu de son esclave ; il I'a
honorde de sa couche. . . . Je te supplie maintenant de
mettre le comble a ses faveurs en donnant a ma soeur
Aregonde un mari dont le rang et le merite puissent
rdpondre S. I'dtat brillant auquel j'ai ete elevee par mon
roi."

At the time of presenting this petition, Ingonde also
presented Aregonde to Clotaii'e, who, thinking he could
not better provide for her, offered her his own hand, and
the espousals were concluded by his receiving her into
his palace as wife and second queen. It is related that
Ingonde was too amiable to murmur at his decision.

QUEEN AREGONDE.

Aregonde gave birth to Chilperic, king of Soissons :
shortly after this event, her conduct gave umbrage to
the pope, John III., who would no longer permit her to
remain at court, and obliged her to retire to a convent,
where she assumed the veil.

32 QUEEN RADEGONDE.

QUEEN GONDIQUE.

GoNDiQUE, viho was the widow of Clodomir, Clotaire's
eldest brother, replaced Aregonde, but she died shortly
after her union, leaving no posterity.

QUEEN CHUSENE, OR GONSINDE,

Was Clotaire's fourth wife, but very little is known of
her, except that she was the mother of the unfortunate
Chramme, who was burned with his young wife and
children, in his house, by order of his cruel father, for
having contracted a marriage without his concurrence
and maintained it by a revolt.

The precise time of the death of the four last-named
queens is not known.

QUEEN RADEGONDE.

This queen was daughter of Berthaire, king of Thu-
ringia, and she was cousin-german to Clotaire I. The
latter, having taken an army into Thuringia for the

QUEEN RADEGONDE. 33

purpose of revenging the injuries done to his house,
gained a complete victory, and put to the sword all the
family of Berthaire, with the exception of Radegonde,
who, although related to him, became his slave when
eight years old. Historians relate, that at this tender
age Radegonde was so beautiful, and her manners so
graceful, that the conquerors were all desirous of pos-
sessing her ; and in the division of the prisoners, to
avoid bloodshed, they determined upon drawing lots to
decide her destiny. The young captive became the pro-
perty of Clotaire, who immediately conveyed her to the
Chateau d'Athie in Vermandois, where, after having
abjured paganism, she was educated with great care in
the Christian religion ; and on attaining her fifteenth
year, Clotaire took her to Soissons, where she became
his wife, in the year 538.

There was an ambitious policy blended with this mar-
riage on the part of the king ; for in virtue of it, the
states of Thuringia were added to France. But whether
Radegonde was too young to form an attachment for a
man many years her senior, or, what is much more
probable, entertained a just horror for the murderer of
her father, and the author of all the misfortunes of her
family, she displayed the utmost indiiference towards
her husband, and was in the habit of relieving herself
from his attentions and society, by passing many days

34 QUEEN RADEGONDE.

successively in the performance of religious duties and
severe acts of penance. And at length, disgusted with
the licentious conduct of the king, and yielding to her
own inclination, she quitted the court, three years after
her marriage, and requested of Saint Medard, Bishop
of Noyou, permission to take the veil.

Notwithstanding this request was made without the
consent or knowledge of the king, and was moreover
contrary to the canonical laws, the prelate was induced
to yield to the queen's solicitations, and granted her the
monastic habit, on receiving which she proceeded to visit
the tomb of Saint Martin at Tours ; but, learning that
Clotaire was determined on retaking possession of her,
she wandered for a long time from abbey to abbey for
the purpose of concealment.

At length, reassured by the silence or neglect of the
king, Radegonde settled at Poitiers, where she founded
the celebrated abbey of Sainte-Croix, the first female
monastery in France. During the building of this
monastery, Radegonde lived as a recluse, in the society
of a young girl called Agnes, whom she^ had educated,
and with whom she devoted herself to acts of religion.
The stone flour-mill which this queen was in the habit
of turning as a species of penance is reported to have
been shown to strangers visiting Poitiers within the last
century.

QUEEN RADEGONDE. 35

Although she had invariably assumed at court the
appearance of a most humble and religious person, in
her monastery she reigned as a queen ; and her husband
Clotaire voluntarily supplied her with the means neces-
sary for her expenditures. She attracted immense num-
bers of pilgrims to the convent, and all the wise and
learned of the age paid homage to her. She possessed
great influence throughout the country, although distant
from Paris, the seat of government ; and she is even
said to have mediated between sovereigns, and dis-
suaded them from waging war. All the unfortunate
flocked to her, and her interest with Clotaire in making
intercessions for those who appealed to her was very
powerful.

Historians assert that Radegonde was passionately
fond of poetry, and bestowed great favour and attention
on the poet Fortunato; a circumstance which, if true,
could not fail to injure the reputation of a young queen,
separated as she was from her husband. Fortunato was
an Italian ; he was amiable and intellectual, and fre-
quently addressed Radegonde in verse, daily presenting
her with fruits and flowers. She in her turn made him
little presents ; and though these simple gifts did honour
to the frugality of the epoch, their interchange has
thrown suspicion on the queen's virtue.

Agnes, the lady abbess of Saint-Croix, often partici-

36 QUEEN RADEGONDE.

pated in the literary amusements of Radegonde and
Fortunate, both of whom were in the habit of composing
impromptu verses at table, some of which are preserved,
and arc very pleasing. In the collection of these pieces
there is one relative to which an anecdote is told, to the
effect that it was the result of an indulgence, anything
but monastical, into which the poet was inveigled by his
fair companions; and the verses but too plainly pro-
claim the condition of the author at the moment they
were penned.

Although the Celtic was the language spoken in
France, Radegonde wrote and conversed fluently in the
Roman tongue. Her letters to the Emperor Orient-
Justin and the Empress Sophie are proofs of her talents
and acquirements. With the exception of her will, all
her works were written and corrected by herself, in
conjunction with the learned Fortunate ; and many
poetical pieces were the result of this association. One
in particular, the subject of which is the misfortunes and
downfall of the house of her father Berthaire, is remark-
able for dignity of style and sweetness of expression ;
and it unites the most tender expressions of affectionate
regret with an energetic description of the ruin of Thu-
rinsfia.

This fact goes far to explain the reason why Rade-
gonde adopted at court the appearance of a penitent,

QUEEN WALDKADE. 37

and in the cloister that of a queen. She found herself
happier anywhere than in the palace of him "who was
the author of all the sufferings of her family.

The king, whom Radegonde did not hesitate to declare
that she detested, preceded her to the tomb in 562. She
surviyed him twenty-eight years, and pursued during
her widowhood the same mode of life which she had
adopted on establishing herself at Poitiers. She died at
the monastery of Sainte-Croix in the year 590, aged
sixty-seven, leaving no children.

Radegonde was buried by the celebrated Bishop Gre-
gory, of Tours, in the vault of a church which bears his
name. She was considered a prodigy for the age in
which she lived, on account of her talents and accom-
plishments.

QUEEN WALDRADE.

Clotaire, having added Thuringia to his other
states by his marriage with Radegonde, was desirous of
possessing the kingdom of Austrasia, by a union with
Waldrade, daughter of Wachon, king of the Lombards,
and widow of Thibaut, king of Austrasia, who was his
grand-nephew. Waldrade was the sixth and last wife
of Clotaire.

VOL. I. — 4

38 QUEEN INGOBERGE.

The clergy strenuously opposed these speculative
marriages, and also the multiplicity of wives ; and Clo-
taire, having possessed himself of her kingdom, did not
object to a divorce ; on the contrary, he assisted in per-
suading Waldrade to unite herself to Garibald, king of
Bavaria. Nothing more is known of this queen.

QUEEN INGOBERGE.

(Reign of Cherberg.)

Ingoberge was the wife of Cherberg, king of Paris,
but her origin cannot be ascertained. She is called by
some historians Nigebride. The king was so passion-
ately fond of the chase, that he frequently neglected
the queen to follow its pleasures. Ingoberge, who felt
his indifference, confided her sorrows to two young girls
who resided with her in the capacity of maids of honour ;
one of whom had escaped from a conventual life, which
was displeasing to her, and the other possessed great
personal attraction, and is said to have danced and sung
well. They recommended the queen to invent some new
kind of amusement to divert the king, and retain him in
the palace. Accordingly she composed a pastoral ro-
mance, in which these young ladies performed a promi-

QUEEN MIROFLEDE. 39

nent part, and pleased the king so much that he could
not restrain his admiration of them. The queen was
very indignant, not only at her husband's infidelity, but
also at his degraded choice, these girls being the daugh-
ters of a TTOol-spinner ; and in order to humiliate him
and disgrace her rivals, she ordered their father to come
and perform his usual avocation of spinning in her
apartments, and then conducted the king to witness him
at his labour. The result of this stratagem was unfor-
tunate for Ingoberge, against whom the king was highly
incensed ; he immediately expelled her from the palace,
in the year 561. She retired to a convent, where she
passed the remainder of her life in prayers and charities,
gave freedom to all the slaves on her estate, and died in
589, at the age of seventy, leaving one daughter. Bertha,
who was married to one of the kings of Great Britain.

QUEEN MIROFLEDE.

MiROFLEDE, the eldest of the two sisters above named,
was raised to the throne by Cherberg, on the expulsion
of Ingoberge. But Marcou^ve, the younger, who was
ambitious of supplanting her sister, insinuated to the king
that Miroflede was intrio-uins: with one of the lords about

40 QUEEN TEUDEGILDE.

the court — a malicious artifice "which succeeded, and
Miroflede in her turn was obliged to yield the royal post
to her sister. She had no children.

QUEEN MARCOUEVE.

The clergy, who had permitted the deposition of
Ingoberge, and the dismissal of Miroflede, would not
sanction the marriage of the king with Marcoudve,
because she had broken her religious vows, and was
moreover sister to the late queen. In consequence
Saint Germain, bishop of Paris, excommunicated Cher-
berg and Marcoudve. The latter died childless in the
year 570.

QUEEN TEUDEGILDE.

Cherbekg, who was not to be intimidated by the
thunders of the Church, married a third wife, named
Teudegilde.

One day, having been engaged in his favourite sport,
he lay down near a fountain to repose himself after the
fatigues of the chase, Avhen a young girl of extreme
beauty approached. The prince called her to him, and

QUEEN TEUDEGILDE. 41

professed himself enamoured of her ; but the shepherd-
ess, although much gratified by his admiration, would
not consent to listen to him, until he should consecrate
his love for her at the foot of the altar. The king of
France thereupon espoused the simple and obscure Teu-
degilde, who received the title of queen.

The reign of Teudegilde was short, for the king died
the same year, 570. But Teudegilde was ambitious,
and hoped to maintain her rank by a union with her
brother-in-law, Goutran, king of Orleans. Accordingly
she sent deputies, offering him her hand and her riches.
The avaricious Goutran accepted both ; but after pos-
sessing himself of her kingdom and wealth, he placed
her in a monastery at Aries.

The queen, who could not endure the cloister, endea-
voured to release herself from its rigours, and gained the
friendship and aid of a Spaniard, to whom she promised
all her jewels if he would effect her escape. But their
project was discovered ; the abbess guarded the unhappy
Teudegilde more strictly than ever, and treated her with
inflexible rigour.

Despair shortened the days of this young and royal
widow, who died of grief for the loss of her liberty, in
the year 578.
4*

42 QUEEN AUDOVERE.

QUEEN AUDOVERE.

(Reign of Chilperic I.)

During the reigns of the Merovingian race of kings,
upon the death of each sovereign the sons divided the
kingdom, the eldest being heir to the throne of Paris.
This was a custom -which created continual warfare, as
well as the frequent dismemberment of the French ter-
ritories. Such a system of division fortunately did not
continue beyond the eighth century, having been abo-
lished by the successors of Clotaire II.

At the death of Clotaire I., under whom all the states
of France were united, the kingdom was again separated
into the provinces of Soissons, Orleans, Burgundy, Aus-
trasia, and Neustria. The wives of each of these sove-
reigns are as well known in history as that of their
brother the king of Paris, but as none can rank amongst
the queens of France but those whose husbands possessed
Paris for their scat of government, they are omitted in
this history.

Audovere was first wife of Chilperic L, and daughter
of a French duke; she was remarkable for her beauty
and extreme simplicity. As a wife and mother she was
faultless ; but, devoid of those talents which arc indis-
pensable for a queen, either to assist her husband with

QUEEN AUDOVERE. 43

her counsel or guard herself from private enemies, she
soon fell a victim to the stratagems of one of her attend-
ants, the celebrated Fredegonde, who vras born at Mont-
didicr, in 543, and who, although of obscure parentage,
possessed talents which were unfortunately but too ill
directed. At no period have the pages of history been
sullied with more atrocious crimes than those Avhich
mark the career of this woman.

Her first act was a stratagem to separate xiudovere
from the king, doubtless with the view of replacing the
queen herself. Audovere had at the time just given
birth to her fifth child, when Fredegonde advised her to
request the king to become sponsor for the newly-born
infant, in conjunction with herself; assuring her that
this would cause him to attach himself more closely to
her, and would form a new link of afi'ection between
them. Audovere had been carefully and religiously
educated, and was ignorant of the many barbarous laws
which still existed ; moreover she had too little foresight
to suspect the designs of her perfidious counsellor.

Whether this was a plan concerted with Chilperic, or
whether Fredegonde was the sole author, is uncertain ;
but Chilperic, having become the godfather of his daugh-
ter, was instructed by Fredegonde to declare that as
there existed between himself and the queen a spiritual
alliance, to live longer together in the conjugal .state

44 QUEEN GALSUINDE.

would be a crime worthy of death : accordingly, under
the pretext of a religious motive, Chilperic concealed
his unworthy desire for a divorce. Audovere Avas sent,
with her daughter Childesinde, to the Abbey du Pre, at
Mons, where, in the year 580, Fredegonde caused them
to be assassinated.

She had three sons and two daughters : one of her
sons died young ; the other children, Morovee, Clovis,
Childesinde, and Basine, fell victims to Fredegonde's
hatred.

QUEEN GALSUINDE.

The cruel and ambitious conduct of Fredegonde did
not immediately procure her the position she aimed at
obtaining; for the king tenaciously maintained the reso-
lution he had made to marry none but a princess, and
refused her those public honours which were due only
to a queen. Fredegonde was disappointed, but, artful
and intriguing, she felt it necessary to submit, in order
to proceed more surely along the path which was to lead
her to the desired end.

Chilperic in proof of his determination invited Galsu-
inde, daughter of the king of the Visigoths, to share the
throne of France with him ; but as the characters of
Chilperic and Fredegonde were well known at foreign

QUEEN GALSUINDE. 45

courts, tlie parents of this young Spanish princess hesi-
tated a long time before thcj coukl persuade themselves
to consent to this marriage, for which Galsuinde had a
profound aversion, perhaps from a presentiment of the
fate that "was in preparation for her. But policy, vrhich
rules the destinies of royal children, assigned the prin-
cess to Chilperic ; her father, Aganathilde, thinking the
union would be advantageous, resigned his daughter to
the French ambassadors, whom he made swear by their
swords, in the name of the king of France, that ho would
never suffer another woman to share his affections ; and
with a view of securing his kindness to her daughter,
well knowing his avaricious disposition, her mother
loaded her with immense riches.

Though less beautiful than her sister, Brunehaut, —
whom it will soon be necessary to introduce into this
history, — she was much more gentle, more regretted by
her father's people, and lamented by her mother. Gal-
suinde became the victim of her father's political views,
and entered upon her new honours with a foreboding of
the snares which surrounded her.

She made her entry into France in a silver car, drawn
by four white bulls ; the marriage was celebrated with
great magnificence at Rouen, and the king reiterated
the oath of his ambassadors, swearing by the most holy
relics that he would never marry another wife.

46 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

Galsuinde's riches gave her many charms in the eyes
of Chilperic, and it was believed that the superiority of
her intellect and her sweetness of temper had fixed his
volatile disposition. Loved and respected by the French
people, she was proud of her virtue and her birth, and
believed they were sufficient to oppose every title which
Fredegonde might usurp. But Galsuinde, more clear-
sighted than Audovere, discovered that Fredegonde pos-
sessed unlimited power over the mind and heart of the
monarch ; and feeling her insecurity near so dangerous
a rival, she threw herself on her knees before Chilperic,
entreating him, as the greatest favour, to suffer her to
return to the court of her father. Chilperic would, per-
haps, have granted her request, but he must have re-
turned the wealth which the Spanish princess had brought
with her ; his heart was too sordid to resign it, and her
treasures were the cause of her ruin.

Galsuinde was strangled in her bed in 568, after a
reign of two years, leaving no posterity.

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

No page in these annals offers so deplorable a com-
plication of evils as the period now referred to — an
epoch in which two women made France the theatre of

QUEEN AND EEGENT FREDEGONDE. 47

the most sanguinary acts, both of public warfare and
private hatred.

Fredegonde's indefatigable manoeuvres at length pro-
cured her the much-desired diadem. Her talents mi<^dit
have rendered her capable of reigning, had not her cru-
elties obliterated the glory of some wise and enterpris-
ing actions. Her resources for intrigue were most fer-
tile, and Chilperic became the slave of her will ; she
sustained the weight of government with so much jBrm-
ness, that until she shared it with him, the king had
never appeared so worthy of the throne ; but the hatred
and vengeance of a woman possessed of such art and
unlimited power opened a wide field for the exercise of
her cruelty, which she incessantly and unerringly prac-
tised for a series of years.

Brunehaut, or Brunichilde, Queen of Austrasia, se-
cond daughter of the king of the Visigoths, and wife of
Sigibert, had determined to be revenged on Fredeo-onde
for the death of her sister Galsuinde. She was not less
remarkable than Fredegonde for her talents, though she
did not possess that queen's vindictive temper, or commit
the crimes it produced. Brunehaut was considered the
first woman of the age in which she lived.

Her sister's wrongs and death aroused her vengeance,
and she excited her husband, Sigibert, king of Austra-
sia, to take up arms to avenge her quarrel in the year

48 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

569. Goutrau, King of Orleans, joined him, and their
combined forces vanquished Chilperic, 'whose people,
burdened with taxes, abandoned him. Flying before his
enemies, he took refuge in Tournai, where he enclosed
himself with his wife and son, and resolved to perish
beneath the ruins of the town rather than surrender.
Fredegonde, although despairing, was not conquered ;
she promised great recompense to two young gentlemen
of Thourenne if they succeeded in assassinating Sigibert,
and numerous prayers if they fell in the attempt ; a
smile from this beautiful princess seduced them ; they
undertook the task, and the virtuous King Sigibert fell
by the strokes of a poniard, in the midst of his troops,
in the year 575.

This crime saved Chilperic and his family.

Brunehaut, the widow of the murdered prince, and
the implacable enemy of Fredegonde, offered her crown
and wealth to the king, Chilperic, if he would marry
her ; the offer was inviting, but Fredegonde, with her
usual skill and cunning, parried this stroke to her power,
and arrested the progress of her rival, who was detained
at Rouen. It was in this town that Brunehaut married
her nephew Morovee, son of Chilperic and Audovcre.
The marriage ceremony was performed by the Bishop
Prdtextat, who availed himself of this occasion to dis-
play his aversion to Fredegonde.

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE. 49

The young prince was tlic first victim; Fredegonde
sent hirelings who assassinated him in the arms of his
bride. But that act did not satisfy her vengeance.
She desired the punishment of Prdtextat for having
bestowed his benediction on this union. He was sum-
moned before a council of bishops, and charged with
having celebrated an incestuous marriage. The prelates
discovered that the charge was an act of persecution,
and acquitted him ; he was nevertheless banished from
Paris by the absolute authority of Fredegonde, who,
having once marked her victim, did not renounce her
projects of vengeance.

Chilperic, finding himself without rivals, no longer
cared to preserve the love of his subjects, whose discon-
tent at length produced a revolt. Fredegonde, wishing
to obtain the friendship of the French people, who re-
garded her with feelings of mingled horror and disdain,
repealed all the new laws of taxation ; but this act must
be attributed more to fanatical superstition than to a
desire to render justice.

Her two sons, Clodbert and Dagobert, were seized
with an epidemic complaint, which her conscience attri-
buted to the just wrath of Heaven, and for this reason
she repealed these unjust taxes, and made vows to Saint
Medard ; but Providence rejected her compulsory sacri-
fice,— her two sons died.

VOL. I. — 5

50 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

Freclegonde was inconsolable, feeling that after the
death of Chilperic she would be without support, there
being no lineal successor to the throne but Clovis, the
last surviving son of Chilperic and Audovere. This im-
prudent young man had the folly to declare that he
would avenge himself of the enemy of his race, when she
should fall into his power. From that moment Frede-
gonde determined to deprive him of such a satisfaction.

She first persuaded the king to send him to the
Chateau de Braine, where a contagious epidemic was
ravaging the neighbourhood ; but Clovis returned safely
and in health. She then accused him of loving the
daughter of a sorceress, with whom she declared that he
had laid plots for the destruction of her sons, Clodbert
and Dagobert, by witchcraft. The unfortunate girl was
shaved and beaten with rods ; and her mother put to
such cruel tortures, that, to escape from her agony, she
avowed all that they desired; namely, that she was a
sorceress, and that in conjunction with Clovis she had
resolved the death of the young princes. The credulous
khig required no further proofs to induce him to aban-
don his son to the resentment of Fredegonde ; accord-
ingly this impious queen ordered Didier and Boson, two
of the captains of her guard, to arrest liim, and, after
despoiling him of all his insignia of royalty and honour,
caused his throat to be cut in the Chateau of Noisi, after

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE. 51

wliich his body was thrown into the Marne, in the year
577. A fisherman, who recognised the sad remains of
this unfortunate young prince, drew the corpse from the
river and procured it Christian burial.

His mother, Audovere, who was living in the retire-
ment of the cloister, at the abbey des Pres, and quite
incapable of injuring Fredegonde, or of avenging her
own wrongs, was nevertheless strangled by some of her
satellites; the eldest daughter, Childesinde, shared the
same fate ; and the youngest, Basine, after experiencing
great insult and outrage from these wretches, was left to
preserve the memory of the atrocious affront in the mo-
nastery, where she died soon after.

Such was Fredegonde ; and Chilperic was sufficiently
cruel and stupid to look calmly on such horrors. All
the property which had belonged to Clovis and Audo-
vere was seized by Fredegonde. She had imbrued her
hands in innocent blood, and then added injustice and
covetousness to murder.

But the death of Clovis did not satisfy her ; she next
attacked her own blood.

She had promised the hand of her daughter, Rigouthe,
to Recardde, son of the king of the Visigoths, in the year
582. The doAver of this young princess consisted of
immense riches in money and jewels. Rigouthe left
Paris with fifty chariots filled with silver and valuables,

52 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

and escorted by four thousand men. Her wealth excited
the cupidity of several noblemen ; accordingly her escort
was attacked and routed, and such of her treasures as
were not taken by the duke of Toulouse were taken by
the guides, who completed the pillage of the equipages.
The princess could not reach Spain, and was obliged to
return to the court of Chilperic, without having con-
tracted the projected alliance.

The return of this princess, whom Fredcgonde dis-
liked, was the subject of a new crime. They had lived
at court on very bad terms, and the queen had provided
her with a rich dower to accelerate the marriage of a
daughter to whom she was not attached, and was desi-
rous of ridding herself of.

With her usual subtlety, she feigned great sympathy
and affection for Rigouthe, and conducted her into some
secret apartments of the palace, where she pointed out
to her a large chest filled with precious stones and valu-
able dresses, from amongst which she invited her to
choose those which pleased her most. Eigouthe bent
forward to inspect the contents of the coffer, when Fre-
dcgonde, availing herself of a favourable moment, let fall
the heavy cover upon the head of her daughter, who
would have been suffocated had not one of her attend-
ants gone to her assistance, and delivered her young
mistress from her painful and perilous situation.

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE. 53

In the year 584 Fredegonde gave birth to Clotah-e II.

Chilperic having reason to suspect her fidelity, from
the great favour and attention she bestowed on Landri
of Tours, swore to punish them both. Fredegonde
warned Landri of the circumstance, informing him that
he must perish by Chilperic's command, or murder him.
The same day this monarch was stabbed by Landri on
his return from the chase, in the year 584, when he was
sixty-one years of age.

From the circumstances attending this murder, the
people of France suspected Fredegonde of having given
an illegitimate successor to the crown, in the person of
the young king Clotaire 11. ; but she took a solemn oath
before several bishops and four hundred witnesses that
Clotaire was really the son of Chilperic.

To avoid the indignation of the people after the assas-
sination of the king, she was obliged to place herself
under the protection of Ragremonde, bishop of Paris;
and, as churches and monasteries ajQForded an asylum
to those who sought the shelter of their walls, Frede-
gonde shut herself up in the cathedral, with all her trea-
sures. The bishop, who despised her, protected her
only to preserve his privilege.

In the mean time, Gontran, king of Burgundy, and
Chilberg, king of Austrasia, advanced towards Paris,
tbe former with the view of usurping his late brother's
5*

54 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

kingdom, rather than to avenge his death; and the
latter, at the instigation of his mother, Brunehaut.
Fredegonde's situation was most critical ; she was sur-
rounded by enemies and hated by her own people ;
moreover, Gontran, who had obtained possession of
Paris, openly declared that he believed the young Clo-
taire to be the son of Landri of Tours, and should there-
fore take possession of his inheritance. Still she tri-
umphed over her misfortunes.

Knowing the warm and generous disposition of Gon-
tran, she exercised her usual art to gain his pity, and at
length induced him to take herself and her infant under
his protection, as also to send back Brunehaut and Chil-
berg's ambassadors.

Thus protected, the queen had her young son baptized
at Nanterre, and afterwards crowned at Yitri.

But though Gontran had taken the queen under his
protection, he mistrusted her too much to suffer her to
remain near his person, and accordingly sent her to the
royal palace of Vaudreuil, near Rouen. Fredegonde,
who felt convinced that this was the result of Brune-
haut's counsel, despatched hired assassins to effect her
murder. They were unsuccessful ; and Brunehaut, to
brave her enemy, sent back one of these miserable men
to Rouen, whose hands the pitiless queen cut off, as a
punishment for his want of skill.

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE. 55

During her residence at Yaudreuil, the hour of her
vengeance had arrived for the Bishop Prdtextat, Avho
consecrated the marriage between Brunehaut and Moro-
vee. On Easter Sunday, in the year 586, while engaged
in his religious duties, the venerable prelate was stabbed
by two assassins, and expired at the foot of the altar.

The death of Gontran, her protector, afforded Frede-
gonde an opportunity of exercising her capacity for
governing, and displaying the inexhaustible talent and
skill which she possessed.

Brunehaut, aided by her son Chilberg, had taken pos-
session of several of the young king's most important
fortresses. Fredegonde hastened to release them, and
was met by a large army ; she made up for the defi-
ciency of her own force by skilful negotiations ; recon-
ciled the discontented by munificent promises ; and suc-
ceeded in creating a quarrel between her enemies and
the Britons, as well as excitin"; discord amonciist the
nobles of their court.

At length Fredegonde placed herself at the head of
her troops, and led them on to battle. She presented
her sou to them, and harangued them in flattering terms,
distributing presents amongst the officers. " En la
voyant sourire avcc tant dc douceur, ils oublient que so,
bouche ordonna souvent des forfaits. Idolutres de cette
reine ^loquente et belle, tons jurcnt de defendre le jcune

56 QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE.

Clotairc jusqu'a la mort. Lear entliousiasme gagne les
soldats, qui se pressent en foule sous les drapeaux de
Fredegonde ; clle-meme, superbe Amazone, s'dlance a
leur tetc, accompagnde du vaillant Landri, fier de com-
battre pour son amante, et peut-6trc pour son fils."

The complete victory gained at Droissi, near Soissons,
in 593, was the fruit of these wise arrangements. She
was mistress of the field of battle, and shed much blood
in pursuit of the enemy, ravaging the country as far as
Rheims, after which she returned triumphant to Sois-
sons.

Chilberg, who could not survive this inglorious defeat,
died, leaving Brunehaut guardian of his children and
regent of Austrasia ; and thus two women, remarkable
for their talents, courage, and cruelty, governed two
neighbouring and powerful states.

Fredegonde marched Avith an army toAvards Paris to
retake it ; Brunehaut defended it ; but the queen of
France, always successful, gained a new victory over her
rival at Leucofao, and by this means permanently esta-
blished the throne of her son Clotairc II. After having
divided her attention between his education and the ad-
ministration of government, she died a natural death at
Tours, in 597, aged fifty-four years.

In noticing the peaceful death of Fredegonde, we
cannot omit to mention that of her rival, which occurred

QUEEN AND REGENT FREDEGONDE. 57

some time after ; and tliougli Brimeliaut's crimes must
be regarded "with horror, we shudder at the last catas-
trophe of her life, and the treatment she received at the
hands of her nephew, the atrocious offspring of Frede-
gonde. Seated on a tribunal, surrounded by his chiefs,
he caused Brunehaut, the daughter, wife, and mother of
kings, who had been betrayed by one of her generals
into his hands, to be brought before him. She appeared
clothed in her royal mantle, and wearing the crown,
with hatred and fury flashing from her eyes. The judge
and murderer of the two sons of Thierry had the auda-
city to reproach his aunt with their death, as well as all
her own crimes, and she was unanimously condemned.
Bound on a camel, and covered with rags, she was led
through the camp for three consecutive days, exposed to
every species of ignominy and insult, and afterwards
tied to the tail of a wild horse, who dashed her brains
out, and dragged her mangled body over the rocks and
stones. On comparing the frightful death of this woman
with the tranfjuil end of Fredegonde, Avho could for a
moment doubt the certainty of a day of retribution in a
future state ?

Many comparisons have been made between tliese two
furies, who, if they resembled each other in their lives,
have left at least different reputations. Witli Frede-
gonde rests nothing but the memory of her crimes,

58 QUEEN IIALDETRUDE.

whereas the name of Brunehaut, though it recalls crime,
brings with it the recollection of celebrated foundations
and useful establishments, such as the high roads which
she cut through France, and wliich are still called
" Chaiissees de Brunehaut ;'' but in acknowledging that
these monuments give the queen of Austrasia some pre-
ference over her rival, we must admit that history docs
not produce two contemporary characters of the female
sex so celebrated for crime as these two bad women.

Fredegonde was buried in the vault of Saint Germain-
des-Pr^s, at Paris, by the side of her husband Chilperic.

QUEEN HALDETPtUDE.

(Reign of Clotaire II.)

During the reign of Clotaire II., France enjoyed
some repose. His first "wife, Haldetrude, is very little
known ; she was the mother of two princes, Dagobert I.,
king of France, who succeeded his father, and Merovee,
who was taken prisoner at the battle of Etampes, and
put to death by order of Brunehaut.

Some historians assert that she Avas buried in the
royal sepulchre at Saint Germain-des-Prds, others in
Saint Peter's Church at Rouen.

QUEEN BERTRUDE. 59

QUEEN BERTHUDE.

Bertrude, wlio succeeded her, was bora at Neustria,
and was of the house of Saxony. This queen was the
object of love and respect to her husband and his sub-
jects, on account of her amiable qualities.

The patrice* AMth^e, a prince of the house of Bur-
gundy, conspired to usurp the throne of France, and, to
effect his purpose, so artfully persuaded Lendemonde,
Bishop of Sion in Valais, that his success would be in-
fallible, that he prevailed on him to pay a clandestine
visit to the queen, and predict that the death of Clotaire
would take place that year, offering her at the same time
his episcopal town of Sion as a place of security for her
person and property, and insinuating that a marriage
with the audacious patrice would be the only means of
preserving her crown.

Naturally simple and credulous, Bertrude was alarmed
by this prophecy, and her constant anxiety for Clotaire's
safety reduced her to a state of extreme melancholy and
despair, by which means the king became acquainted
with the conspiracy. The prelate retired to Sion, and
obtained his pardon, but Al('th(5e Avas arrested and be-
headed.

* Patrice, a Roman title instituted by the Emperor Constantino.

60 QUEEN GOMATRUDE.

Ecrtrude died in the year 623, universally regretted,
and was buried at Saint Germain-des-Pr^s. During a
reign of eight years she had but one son, Aribert, who
was king of Aquitain.

Clotaire had a third wife, named Sichilde ; but no-
thing more is known of this princess than that shortly
after her marriage, having permitted some familiarities
to Boson d'Etampes, the king ordered him to be be-
headed, and sent Sichilde to a convent.

QUEEN GOMATRUDE.

(Reigu of Dagobert I.)

Dagobert L, who succeeded his father, was not so
good and simple a monarch as the popular traditions
usually represent him. History informs us that he sul-
lied his liands with more than one murder, and his
favourites are too numerous to mention.

Gomatrude, sister to Bertrude, queen of France, was
married to Dagobert three years before the death of his
father Clotaire II. ; the marriage was celebrated at
Clichy in G24.

In 628 Dagobert divorced the queen, under the pre-
text of sterility, but perhaps really instigated by his
own inconstant humour.

QUEEN AND REGENT NANTILDE. 61

QUEEN AND REGENT NANTILDE.

Being at vespers in the abbey of Romilly, Dagobcrt,
vfho was sensibly affected by music, was so cbarmed by
the voice of one of the novices, that he insisted on seeing
her. This was Nantilde, whom he withdrew from the
convent and married.

Though the king possessed great attachment for his
wife, he was none the less inconstant, having had as
many as three favourites dwelling under the same pa-
lace-roof with the queen ; their names were Raguetrude,
Wulfragoude, and Berthilde. The former was the
daughter of a nobleman of Blois, and was the mother of
Saint Sigibert, king of Austrasia, born in the year 630.

In 634 Nantilde gave birth to Clovis II. Far from
taking umbrage at the king's conduct, she contrived to
preserve his regard, and maintained entire control over
his mind. Feeling his strength and health decline, at
the age of thirty-two, Dagobert assembled all his nobles
at Saint Denis, and declared Nantilde regent, in con-
junction with Ega, mayor of the palace.

During the life of this minister the queen directed the
government with wisdom, but after his death, which took
place at the royal chateau of Clichy in 641, Nantilde
did not perform any act worthy of her regency, which,

VOL. I. — 6

^ QUEEN AND REGENT BATHILDE.

happily for France and her own glory, lasted but a year
after the death of her counsellor. She was buried at
Saint Denis in 642, by the side of her husband, Dago-
bert I.

QUEEN AND REGENT BATHILDE.

(Reign of Clovis II.)

TuiS queen, -who was of the blood royal of Saxony,
was born in England in the year 635, and seized and
borne from the coast during her youth by some corsairs,
who sold her for a slave. The mayor of the palace,
Erchinoald, struck with her beauty, bought her and pre-
sented her to his wife, who became attached to her on
account of her gentle disposition, and introduced her at
court. The young king, Clovis, expressed his admira-
tion of the beautiful English girl ; and the mayor of the
palace, in order to preserve and strengthen his autho-
rity, gave Bathilde to Clovis, who, learning her noble
descent, espoused her A. D. 652. They were both
seventeen years of age when the marriage took place.

The sudden elevation of Bathilde caused no alteration
in her gentle and amiable disposition ; her desire was to
be beloved by all.

Her husband Clovis possessed a very weak mind, and

QUEEN AND REGENT BATHILDE. 63

abandoned himself so blindly to the greatest excesses
that he died almost in a state of imbecility from the
continual use of wine. He named Bathilde regent of
France in 656.

This princess, animated by the wisest intentions,
maintained peace and applied herself to the education
of her children. She abolished slavery, and by her
benevolent actions was universally beloved by her sub-
jects. The celebrated Ebroin, mayor of the palace, was
her counsellor, but France attributed all the glory of
the government to this good queen, whom they cherished
and revered. " The nation," says the Jesuit Binet,
" desired that she should be canonized while yet living."

Unfortunately the regent, fearing the ambitious de-
signs of Ebroin, abridged his authority by adding there-
unto two prelates, — Seger, bishop of Autun, and Sige-
brand, bishop of Paris. This division of power created
opposition in the council, and the bishop of Paris, who
was particularly attached to the queen and proud of her
favour, made a boast of it, and was shortly after assassi-
nated by order of Ebroin.

Bathilde was so deeply affected by the death of the
bishop that she resolved on retiring to the abbey of
Chelles.

At that period princesses and women of rank dis-
played great zeal for a monastic life, and it was usual

64 QUEEN AND REGENT BATHILDE.

for them to build or endow abbeys, even to the detri-
ment of their children's fortunes and from the spoils oi'
their vassals.

The queen, after taking the veil at Chelles, founded
the abbey of Corbie, and several other convents.

Still good and beautiful, she did not hesitate to ob-
serve with the greatest humility all the rules in the con-
vent of Chelles, and condescended to perform with her
royal hands many domestic offices which were expected
only from the inferior inmates.

She died in 680, aged forty-five years, and was buried
at Chelles. She had three sons — Clotaire III., Childe-
ric II., and Thierri I. — who were successively kings of
France.

Pope Nicholas I. canonized Bathilde. " L'ame r§-
veuse cherche encore, sous les ombrages de Chelles, la
royale abbaye ou d'augustes princesses couvertes d'uno
tunique bleue et d'un voile blanc, calmaient, par un
repos solennel, le sang ambitieux de Clovis, qui se puri-
fiait dans leurs veines."

Her eldest son, Clotaire III., never married.

QUEEN BLITILDE. 65

QUEEN BLITILDE, or BILICIIILDE.

(Reign of ChiUleric II.)

Tins queen is kno-vvn only by the catastrophe -which
terminated her days.

Her husband, Chikleric II., though very young, was
excessively cruel, and having been remonstrated -with
by Bodillon, one of his counsellors, respecting the in-
justice of a new tax, ordered his minister to be tied to
a tree and beaten vdih rods. Bodillon swore to wash
away the stain of this outrage on his name in the blood
of the royal family : all the nobles partook of his indig-
nation, and a conspiracy was soon formed. The king
went to hunt in the forest of Livry, when Bodillon, after
having insulted him, threw him down and murdered him ;
he then proceeded to the palace of the queen, whom,
Avith her young son Dagobert, he stabbed. Her other
son, who miraculously escaped this massacre, was one
of those ephemeral kings who reigned over France from
this period till the time of Pepin-le-Brcf.

Bli tilde was twenty-three years of age at the time of
her death, and was buried Avith her husband in the royal
tomb of Saint Germain- des-Pi'^s, at Paris.

Her coffin was discovered nearly a thousand years
after (in 1G4G), containing her bones and fragments of
6*

66 QUEEN CLODOILDE.

apparel, which crumbled to dust shortly after the open-
ing of the tomb.

QUEEN CLODOILDE.

(Reign of Tliierri I.)

Neither the names nor histories of the wives of the
last kings of the Merovingian race are known — Clovis
III., Chilberg II., Dagobert II., Clotaire IV., Chilperic
II., Thierri II., and Childeric III., all of whom died so
young and reigned so obscurely that they have been
called les Rois faineants, in consequence of their sloth-
ful and insignificant career.

However, it is known that Thierri I., who preceded
them, built the abbey of Waast d' Arras, where he was
interred with Clodoildc, one of his wives, in 691, who
was surnamed Dode, by some, on account of her great
size, and by others Solinde and Cratilde ; she was the
mother of Clovis III. and Chilberg 11.

The other queens, until the epoch of the Carlovin-
gians, were no less obscure than their husbands, who
relinquished their authority to the mayors of the palace,
first the rivals of their power and afterwards its usurp-
ers. Tlic history of France, from the time of Clovis

QUEEN CLODOILDE. 67

11. to the reign of Pepin-le-Bref, is entirely that of
these ambitious dignitaries.

During this period the queens lived in retirement
Avith their indolent husbands under the yoke of those
barbarous manners which still existed, and in which
their lords, by feudal right, made favourites of the wives
and daughters of their vassals ; — miserable proof of the
power of injustice and ignorance in a country not yet
civilized !

CARLOVINGIAN KACE.
QUEEN BERTHA.

(Reign of Pepin-le-Bref.)

Before his marriage with Bertha, Pepin had a wife
called Leutberge, by whom he had three sons, — Rapa-
ton, Bennou, and Blaman ; and two daughters, Rathais
and Ade, all of whom lived and died, like their mother,
in obscurity.

Bertha, or Bcrtrada, daughter of Caribert, count of
Leon, was married to Pepin-le-Bref at the time that he
was only mayor of the palace ; but after his accession to
the throne, the monarch, instigated by ambition or po-
licy, was eager to contract a more brilliant alliance, and
desirous of divorcing Bertha, who was surnamed la Heme
au grand Pied, because she had one foot larger than the
other. But the pope, Stephen III., who visited France
at that period, succeeded in dissuading Pepin from his
purpose, and the king and queen were solemnly crowned
in 754, by the Roman pontiff, in the magnificent church
of Saint Denis.

Bertha Avas the first queen of France whose corona-
tion was consecrated l)y a prelate.

m

QUEEN BERTHA. 69

Hauglity and of a violent disposition, slie lived on
Very indifferent terms with her husband, whom she ne-
vertheless accompanied in his battles in Germany and
Aquitain.

Her renowned son Charlemagne had a high opinion
of his mother's merits, and her influence over him was
so great that she persuaded him to marry Hermengarde,
the daughter of Didier, king of the Lombards, against
his will-
Under pretext of performing a pilgrimage, she took
a voyage to Italy, and was received at Rome with great
honours, having been the means of adding several of the
king of Lombardy's possessions to those of the Pope.

Shortly after she proved the ascendancy she possessed
over the mind of her son by the reconciliation she
affected between the young princes Charlemagne king
of Austrasia, and Carloman king of Neustria.

Bertha died at an advanced age at Choisi, in 783,
after having reigned nine years, and was buried by the
side of her husband at Saint Denis.

Besides Charlemagne and Carloman, she had also
another son, called Gilles, and three daughters, of whom
one, Gisele, Avas a nun ; another, Rothaide, was married
to the Count d'Angers, and gave birth to the celebrated
Rolando, who was killed at the Vale of Ronceveaux.
The premature end of this young warrior, and the en-

70 QUEEN HERMENGARDE.

tliusiastic admiration "which Charlemagne conferred on
his family bj his brilliant career, have given rise to so
many tales of chivalry and romance, that it is difficult to
distinguish the true history of this event from the fabu-
lous ; in the harmonious Italian language the name has
been introduced by Ariosto in his sublime and inspiring
poem entitled "Orlando Furioso."

QUEENS HERMENGARDE AND HILDE-
GARDE.

(Reign of Charlemagne.)

Previously to his accession, Charlemagne had mar-
ried Galene, daughter of the king of Toledo, -who died a
few months after her marriage, leaving with him only
the memory of the beauty and graces which had won his
devotion and love.

He afterwards married Himiltrude, who was divorced
at the instigation of his mother Bertha, to give place to
Hermengarde, in opposition to the advice of Pope Ste-
phen III., who was a great enemy to her father, Didier,
king of Lombardy.

Himiltrude was the mother of Pepin-le-Bossu, or the
Humpbaek. The epoch of her death is unknown.

Hermengarde, whom the king married out of respect

QUEEN HILDEGARDE. 71

to the will of his mother, was not long seated on the
throne before Charlemagne expressed his determination
to dissolve his union with her, and on tliis occasion the
Pope favoured his intentions. The divorce was effected
under the pretext that she was valetudinary and sterile.
Didier took up arms to punish this affront, but his pro-
jects of vengeance failed before the prowess of Charle-
magne. To add to her troubles, Hermengarde saw her
father and her brother Adalgise despoiled of their crown
in 774, and these accumulated misfortunes shortened
the days of this queen, who died in retirement, the exact
period being unknown.

Ilildegarde, who succeeded this unfortunate queen,
was the daughter of a prince of Swabia ; but although
her reign lasted nine years, it affords nothing worthy of
narration.

She was but twenty-six years of age at the time of her
decease, and had nine children, five daughters and four
sons. The youngest died the day following his birth ;
the other three were kings, one of whom succeeded his
father under the title of Louis-le-D^bonnaire, or the
Meek.

This princess was buried at Metz, in the abbey of
Saint Arnould, in 783, and carried to the tomb the
regrets of the king and the nation.

72 QUEEN FASTRADE.

QUEEN FASTRADE.

Shortly after the death of Hildegarde, Charlemagne
married Fastrade, daughter of Raoul, count of Franco-
nia. Her pride was so great that she treated the most
powerful nobles with disdain, and caused daily increas-
ing discontents, which Cliarlemagne, blinded by his love
for Fastrade, attributed to disloyalty, and withdrew his
affection from his subjects.

The king had disbanded his troops, and this opportu-
nity was chosen for the formation of a conspiracy
at Ratisbon headed by Pepin-le-Bossu. A priest named
Fardulfe, who had heard the particulars at the confes-
sional, informed the king of the conspiracy, and the
parties concerned in it were apprehended. Fastrade,
who was naturally cruel, endeavoured to persuade Char-
lemagne to have Pepin executed, but the king had too
much compassion to sacrifice his own offspring ; he
therefore commanded him to have his head shaved, and
to be shut up in a monastery. The other conspii'ators
were either beheaded or had their eyes put out, and Far-
dulfe was appointed abbd of Saint Denis.

Some authors insinuate that Fastrade was concerned
in this conspiracy ; but it is very improbable, as by the
death of Charlemagne, having no son, she would have
lost the crown, and had therefore no interest in commit-

EMrRESS LUITGARDE. 7y

ting this crime ; nevertheless her overbearing conduct
made the king many enemies.

This queen died very young, at Frankfort, in 794,
and vy-as buried in the Abbey de Mayence at Saint
Alban's, but, that abbey having been burnt to the
ground, her tomb .was transferred to the cathedral of the
same place.

She had two daughters, Hiltrude, abbess of Faremou-
tier, and Theodrade, abbess of Argenteuil.

EMPRESS LUITGARDE.

Tnis beautiful princess was a German, and, though
many years younger than the king, was much attached
to him. Charlemagne was more fortunate in his sixth
wife than in any of his former marriages ; a contempo-
rary writer describes her as " Admirable par sa parure,
plus admirable par sa conduite et ses moeurs, g(inereuse,
affable, et bienfaisante, aussi spirituelle que belle, cllc
aimait les arts, et s'appliquait a, orner son esprit."

Charlemagne was passionately fond of her, and in
order to please this great prince, Luitgardc accustomed
herself to the fatigues of the chase. She was a skilful
equestrian, and, habited as an Amazon, intrepidly pur-
sued the most ferocious beasts into the depths of the

VOL. I. — T

74 EMPRESS LUITGARDE.

forest, always accompanying Charlemagne and liis nobles
in the autumnal hunts, which took place in the woods of
Ardennes and Vosges.

Charlemagne in 799 placed the iron crown upon his
brow, and consequently the charming Luitgarde was the
first princess who wore the double diadem, which united
the dignity of queen of France with the pompous title
of empress of Rome. But she did not long survive these
honours, having died childless at Tours in 800, and was
buried in the church of Saint Martin in that town.

Although the age of gallantry had not yet com-
menced in France, it was considered a post of honour to
be a favourite of the king. Charlemagne had several
mistresses, but the most beloved was Regine, who was
presented to him by her uncle, Ganelon, the count of
Mayence, with a request that she might be received in
the rank of maid of honour to the empress. Charlemagne
attached himself to Regine, and had two sons by her —
Drogon, bishop of Metz, and Hugh the Abb^, — and a
daughter named Adalinde.

He had also Adelvide, mother of Thierri, in 810 ;
Madelgarde, who gave birth to Rothilde, in 812; and
Gersuinde, who had a daughter named Hadeltrude. It
was to the first-mentioned of these favourites that the
emperor gave such great proofs of tenderness, that he
covei'ed her with caresses for several days after her

EMPRESS JUDITH. 75

death, and enclosed himself in the room "with the corpse
even while in such a state of corruption that no person
could endure to remain near it, and was at length with
the greatest difficulty withdrawn from this object of
immoderate idolatry by the archbishop of Cologne.

EMPRESS IIERMENGARDE.

(Keign of Louis I.)

This princess was daughter of Ingram, Count of
Ilasbay, and first wife of Louis-le-Debonnaire, with whom
she was crowned at Rheims, by Pope Stephen IV., in
81G. She had been married to him eighteen years be-
fore his accession, and was remarkable for her numerous
graces of person and mind. Her death, which took
place at Angers two years after she received the title
of empress, caused the emperor and the nation deep
regret. She was the mother of three kings, Lothaire,
Louis, and Pepin, the eldest of Avhom reigned over a
part of France.

EMPRESS JUDITH.

Ix the excess of his grief for the loss of Ilermen-
gardc, Louis I. declared his resolution to renounce tlie

76 EMPRESS JUDITH.

world and assume the monastic garb ; he, however, soon
became reconciled to the death of his cherished partner,
and from a religious motive determined to re-marry.
As soon as this resolution was formed, all the noble
women in the empire assembled at Aix-la-Chapelle, the
residence of the emperor, and endeavoured to outvie
each other in attraction. Louis attentively examined
each, and without being acquainted with either the qua-
lity of her birth, or her disposition, made choice of the
most beautiful, Avhich was Judith, daughter of Welf,
Duke of Bavaria and Count of Rawensberg. This ill-
judged decision brought with it its evil consequences,
for Louis, though scrupulously attentive to his religious
duties, was a very weak prince, and naturally serious
and timid. Such a character was not calculated to
please a woman who united great spirit with coquetry
and beauty. The marriage was celebrated in 819 at
Aix-la-Chapelle, and fortunately for Judith, she had
the art to appear faithful in the eyes of her husband,
who remained ignorant of her profligacy, though it was
well known to the whole of France.

The queens of France were charged with all the ex-
penses of the interior of the palace, having arrogated to
themselves that power, and were the depositaries of all
moneys destined for the payment of the troops. At
this period the young and handsome Bernard, Count of

EMPRESS JUDITH. 77

Barcelonn, and Duke of Septimanie, was at the court
of Louis, and Judith obtained for him the situation of
chamberhiin, Avhich comprised the functions of minis-
ter of finance and comptroller of tlie imperial house-
hold ; thus the empress introduced the young minister
into her own especial department, and charged him with
all her duties. Louis approved of all she did, although
the nation could not close their eyes upon her miscon-
duct. Li 831, Judith, to the great delight of the empe-
ror, gave birth to Charles-le-Chauve, or the Bald.

From this time the ambitious princess, seconded by
tlie chamberlain, incessantly occupied herself with en-
deavours to aggrandize this cherished son, to the injury
of the king's elder children, and Louis was weak enough
to proclaim Charles king over a portion of his states.
Lothaire, Pepin, and Louis, the sons of Ilermengarde,
perceiving themselves despoiled of their inheritance,
revolted, and many of the principal nobles about the
court, whom Louis had loaded with favours, joined them
in taking up arms to dethrone the monarch.

The young favourite had neither sufficient talent nor
energy to dissipate the storm, but was cowardly enough
to abandon his mistress, and his prince whom he had
doubly betrayed, in their difficult position. Judith, not
less feeble, retired to the monastery of Laon, where she
was arrested Ijy Pepin, who sent h(-r back to her hus-
7*

78 EMPRESS JUDITH.

band, after he had obtained her promise to take the veil,
and to exercise her influence over Louis to determine
him to abdicate the throne. The empress did not keep
her promise, which, drawn from her by force, ceased to
exist with the violence which had dictated it. She was
constantly surrounded by spies, but nevertheless con-
trived to persuade the king to refuse his abdication on
account of the young prince Charles.

Louis consented to act according to his wife's wishes ;
but the princes, on learning his resolution, conducted
him to Saint Medard in Soissons, and again made a pri-
soner of the empress, whom they confined in the royal
monastery of Saint Radenegonde in Poitiers, and who,
on her departure, was overwhelmed with the deserved
reproaches and insults of the populace. In order to
induce Louis to abdicate the throne, the princes informed
him that Judith and her infant son had fallen victims of
grief for her misfortunes ; but a monk named Gombaud,
who had engaged to instruct the king in the rules of the
monastic life, informed him of the deception. Accord-
ingly the king entered into a negotiation with his rebel
sons ; but the people, who had gained nothing by the
disorders, and who had compassion for their ill-used and
legitimate sovereign, replaced him on the throne by uni-
versal consent.

Louis had not courage to punish the oflfenders, but he

EMPKESS JUDITH. 7!)

was hardly re-established -when he thought of withdraw-
ing Judith from her captivity, and although she had taken
the vows, declared them null, in consequence of her reli-
gious engagement having been forced upon her; and
the empress returned triumphantly to his palace.

None of the reports respecting her disgraceful conduct
with Bernard made the least impression on the mind of
Louis, who believed her innocent, and was desirous that
his subjects should be of the same opinion. Conse-
quently, according to the custom of the times, Judith,
magnificently dressed, appeared before a public assem-
blage at Aix-la-Chapelle, and pronounced an oath de-
claring her innocence ; her parents made the same
solemn declaration, and the empress herself offered to
submit to the proof by fire, from which she came out
victorious.* The charlatans of the present day arc

* The proof of innocence by iire consisted in causing the accused
to walk slowly over red-hot ploughshares, or to hold the hand for a
certain length of time in an iron gauntlet which had been heated in
a furnace, without receiving any injury.

Another proof of innocence was to come safe and unharmed out
of a caldron of boiling water, after remaining in it a determined
space of time.

Those who submitted to the proof by cold water were plunged,
well manacled, into a deep pond or vat of water; if the accused
floated he was considered innocent, if he sunk he was pronounced

80 EMPRESS JUPITR.

better acquainted with the worth of these proofs of guilt
or innocence than the nobles who were contemporaries of
Judith ! After this,, circumstance, though no person
oifered to fight her accusers in close combat, the reports
were pompously declared to be calumnious, and the
empress had sufficient influence to procure the banish-
ment of the celebrated Vala, abbot of Corbie, one of the
principal persons concerned in the sedition.

During her seclusion, Judith had been incessant in
her intrigues for her son, and the veil had only served
to conceal her manoeuvres, so that upon her reinstate-
ment she had the happiness of seeing him crowned and
acknowledged king of Aquitaine, by the princes who
were the chiefs of the conspiracy to dispossess him.

The duke of Septimanie also returned, and offered to
prove his own and the empress's innocence in close
combat, but no one accepted the defiance. Bernard did
not, however, resume his office, his place having been

guilty, for it was imagined that providence would perform a miracle
j-ather than suffer the innocent to he punished.

There was also the proof of the cross, which consisted in liolding
the arms extended for some time . those who let them fall first lost
their cause.

These, and several other proofs less common hut equally ridicu-
lous and extravagant, were performed in the church, in presence of
priests and persons of rank, and accompanied with prayers and reli-
gious ceremonies, Avhich gave them a sacred character.

EMPRESS JUDITH. 81

filled by Gombaud, -who was more useful to tbc sove-
reign.

At length the princes by the first marriage, who had
been forced to yield to necessity, reunited their forces,
and once more revolted. Pope Gregory IV., in defiance
of the courageous opposition of all the French bishops,
entered France at the head of this league, which was
much more prudently conducted than the former, and
the unfortunate monarch was a second time robbed of
his crown, and again conducted to the abbey of Saint
Medard, in 833 ; the prince Charles was sent to the
abbey of Pruym in Prussia ; and Judith, after having
her head shaved, was confined in the abbey Tortona in
Lombardy.

But the same circumstances and the compassion of
the people re-established the emperor upon his throne a
second time, although the crown had less attraction for
him than his reunion with the unworthy wife he loved.
Judith returned to court and became more powerful than
ever. His constant griefs had materially injm'ed the
health of the emperor, and she became anxious to secure
the succession to her son, before his death should take
place. She first intrigued so artfully with Lothaire, and
after his death with Pepin, king of Aquitaine, that she
managed to obtain the crown for him, and ho succeeded

82 EAIPRESS JUDITH.

his father in the government of France under the title
of Charles-le-Chauve.

Judith was so well acquainted with the authority she
possessed over her weak-minded husband, that she fol-
lowed him to Aquitaine in 838, fearing lest the siglit of
Pepin's children, robbed of their inheritance, should
make an impression on his heart which would incite him
to favour their prospects.

She persuaded the monarch, who was ill and feeble,
to march against his son, Louis-le-Germanique, in the
middle of winter, which unfortunate expedition caused
his death in 840.

All the policy of the empress could not prevent a
terrible struggle, of which she was the cause, between
the sons of Louis-le-Ddbonnaire ; and in 841 much blood
was spilt at Fontcnay, At length, in 843, she suc-
ceeded in adjusting the differences between the brothers,
by dividing the monarchy amongst them, and in the
same year died at Tours, aged eighty.

There have been few princesses in France more artful
and intriguing than .Judith, and few who have displayed
greater perseverance, or obtained greater success.

EMPRESS HERMENTRUDE. 83

EMPRESS HERMENTRUDE.

(Reign of Charles II.)

IIermentrude, the first wife of Cliarles-le-Chauve,
■\vas the daughter of Eude L, Count of Orleans ; and
although married at Crecj in 842, she was not crowned
until four-and-twentj years later, on account of the
troubles that agitated France. This event took place
at Soissons in 866.

To this princess is to be attributed the definitive re-
conciliation of Charles with his brothers Lothaire and
Louis-le-Germanique ; she was also the means of reviv-
ing a good understanding between the king and his sis-
ter, the queen of Lombardj.

Hermentrude, worthy of a better fate, did not long
enjoy the glory to which such amiable conduct entitled
her ; she did not even possess the afiection of her hus-
band, who Avas attached to Richilde, afterwards his wife,
and for whose sake Hermentrude was treated with the
utmost disdain. He would even have repudiated the
unhappy queen, had he not dreaded the public indigna-
tion which would have followed so unjust an action.

This empress died at St. Denis in the year 869, where
she was buried. She left a numerous posterity, amongst
whom were Louis-le-Begue, or the Stammerer, King of

84 EMPRESS AND REGENT RICIIILDE.

France, who succeeded his father, and Charles, king of
Aquitaine, two sons who were monks, two daughters
who took the veil, and a third, Judith, who was success-
ively wife to two kings of England.

EMPRESS AND REGENT RICHILDE.

Three months after the death of Hermentrude
Charles 11. married Richilde, daughter of Berves, count
of Ardennes, and sister to Boson I., duke of Bergundy
and king of Provence. This marriage was celebrated at
Aix-la-Chapelle in 870.

The early part of her reign contains nothing worthy
of note ; but at the expiration of seven years the empe-
ror conducted the beautiful Richilde to Italy, where, on
being proclaimed empress. Pope John VIII. placed the
iron crown upon her head, in the cathedral of Tortona.

Besides her great beauty Richilde possessed a firm
mind, and when Charles was about to undertake an
expedition against his brother Louis, king of Lombardy,
he considered her capable of holding the reins of govern-
ment; he therefore left the affairs of the state under
her control, and if this regency was not so successful as
might have been expected, it must be attributed to the
unskilfid management of Charles in Italy, for he gave

EMPRESS AND REGENT RICIIILDE. , 85

his enemy such opportunities of advantage that Louis
penetrated into France.

The empress, ■vvho was at Heristal vrhen the intelli-
gence of her husband's defeat arrived, had but just time
to escape ; and the night after her departure gave birth
to an infant, whom she left "with a faithful servant, and
continued her flight, notwithstanding her condition.

The emperor's aifection for his wife never diminished ;
he rendered her the greatest honours, but some histo-
rians affirm that she was totally unworthy of such
attachment, having conspired against the life of her
husband : this charge, however, is not proved, although
her brother. Boson, participated in the plot ; neverthe-
less Ptichilde's conduct after the death of Charles-le-
Chauve, who was poisoned in 877 by his medical attend-
ant, a Jew, gives some foundation for the report. She
led so licentious a life during her widowhood that Foul-
ques, the archbishop of Rheims, menaced her with most
terrible ecclesiastical anathemas if she did not put some
restraint upon her conduct. This prelate reproached
her with having given herself up to all sorts of excesses,
pillaging and setting fire to houses in the midst of the
most disgraceful orgies.

Age produced no change in the conduct of this em-
press, who, in the year 890, terminated her disgraceful

VOL. I. — 8

86 EMPRESSES ANSGARDE AND ALICE.

career in an obscure village, after having lost all her
children by Charles-le-Chauve.

EMPRESSES ANSGARDE AND ALICE,

OF ENGLAND.
(Reign of Louis IL)

When but seventeen years of age, Louis-le-Begue, or
tlie Stammerer, formed a clandestine marriage -nith
Ansgarde, daughter of the Count Ilardouin, and maid
of honour to Richilde. In consequence of this union
having been formed without the knowledge of the
king his father, who was greatly irritated, the young
and affectionate pair were condemned to a separation,
although Ansgarde had two sons by Louis, Louis III.
and Carloman, who reigned after theii' father.

Not content with this forced separation, Charles-le-
Chauve compelled Louis to marry Alix or Adelaide of
England, for the purpose of setting aside the claims of
the children by the first marriage.

After the death of Charles-le-Chauvc, Ansgarde,
whose marriage had been celebrated fifteen years before,
appealed to Louis to proclaim her rights and those of
her children.

EMPRESSES ANSGARDE AND ALICE. 87

Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, and the Pope, John
VIIL, decided this difficult cause, and pronounced in
favour of Ansgarde, who was acknowledged empress,
because Charles did not appeal to the Ecclesiastical
Court to proclaim the divorce, and Louis, who had never
ceased to love Ansgarde, was willing to be reunited
to her.

His second wife, Alice, who was the victim of these
manoeuvres, gave birth to Charles-le- Simple five months
after the king's death.

Neither of these princesses was crowned, Louis's reign
having lasted but one year, and the time and place of
their death are not known.

Louis-le-Begue, fearing that his double marriage
would create discordance amongst his sons, named Louis
III. and Carloman his joint successors; but the reign
of these princes was very short, and in no annals is there
mention of their wives or posterity.

Some historians have named Engelberge, daughter of
the duke of Spoletto, as the wife of Louis, but it is very
doubtful whether any such marriage took place. After
the emperor's death Engelberge quitted the court, and
spent the remainder of her life in the convent of the
Benedictines of St. Sixte, in Plaisance ; she died in the
year 890.

88 EMPRESS RICHARDE.

EMPRESS mCHARDE.

(Reign of Charles III.)

RiCHARDE, daughter of a Scottish king, was the wife
of Charles-le-Gros, or the Fat, and was married in the
year 877.

This monarch, who was equally unworthy of the crown
he wore and incapable of supporting its burden, became
still more enfeebled by retirement and fasting ; so that
some of his ambitious nobles, who were desirous of the
post, insinuated that Luitgard, bishop of Verceil, his
prime minister, had some culpable connexion with the
empress.

Naturally jealous, the feeble monarch soon believed
what he feared ; Luitgard, in whom he had great con-
fidence, was expelled from the court, and Richarde tra-
duced before a tribunal of nobles, in 887. Richarde
protested her innocence, and demanded that it might be
proved by close combat, or by fire and water ; never-
theless the divorce was pronounced, and the empress was
obliged to retire to the monastery of Audelman in
Alsace, which she had herself built and richly endowed.

Richarde lived there ten years, and died in 897. Her
reputation for wisdom and virtue was very great, though
she refused the appeal of her unfortunate husband, who

EMPRESS FREDERUXE.

had been detlironed by his discontented subjects, aban-
doned him when he was homeless and helpless, and he
would in all probability have died of starvation had he
not been relieved by his old minister Luitgard.

QUEEN FREDERUNE.

(Reign of Charles IV.)

Some historians assert that Charles-le- Simple had a
wife before Frederune, but her name is not known ; all
that can be said of her is that she had a daughter called
Gisele, who married Rollo, Duke of Normandy. The
name of Frederune's father cannot be ascertained, but
she was sister to the bishop of Chalons-sur-Marne ; at
her marriage the king gave her the two royal palaces of
Corberry and Pontgoin. Whatever merit this princess
possessed, she could not bestow upon her husband the
energy and activity necessary to command, and in the
reign of Charles-le-Simple the imperial crown was lost to
the kings of France ; the debilitated descendants of
Charlemagne were overthrown, and several usurpers
divided this great empire.

Frederune lived in calm retirement, and her obscure
existence would be unknov, u but for the religious edifices
8 *

00 QUEEN ODIVE, OR OGIVE.

she founded, and the four daughters she had by this
indolent monarch. She died in the year 917, and was
buried in the cathedral at Rheims.

QUEEN ODIVE, or OGIVE.

Odive, daughter of Edward, king of Kent, and grand-
daughter to the king of England, was called to replace
Frederune on the throne, and had many occasions of
employing the rare talents with which she was endowed.
In 923 her husband, Charles-le-Simple, was taken pri-
soner in a battle with Hugh-le-Grand, count of Paris and
duke of France ; and to avoid captivity Odive retired to
the court of her brother Aldestan, grandson to Alfred
the Great of England, taking Avith her Louis d'Outre-
mer, her young son.

In 924 she received intelligence of the death of the
unfortunate Charles her husband, and occupied herself
with endeavouring to re-establish his dynasty upon the
throne of France. Raoul, duke of Burgundy, had taken
possession ; but having died without posterity, Odive
used every effort to have her son recalled, and attached
the all-powerful duke of Normandy to her interests. At
length, after thirteen years' exile, her honourable efforts
were crowned Avith succos?; : and th.e French people sent

QUEEN ODIVE, OR 0GI\T:. 91

deputies to England to bring back their sovereign Louis
IV., -whom they received with great joy.

In order to secure for her son the most powerful
allies, Odive remained in England until Louis had
attained his eighteenth year, when he sent for his mo-
ther, whose counsels he thought would be profitable
to him.

By a singular fatality, Odive, tliough somewhat ad-
vanced in years, became attached to Herbert, count of
Vermandois, second son to the count who had made the
king, her husband, prisoner at Perron, where he died.
Louis, fearing that evil consequences might arise from
his mother's attachment to a prince who was the irre-
concileable enemy of his house, watched her with so
much vigilance that she considered herself almost a pri-
soner at Laon. At length, in 951, she escaped from
her guardians, and this Avidow and daughter of a king,
at the age of fifty years, married the young Herbert of
Vermandois, who was only twenty ; this marriage was
solemnized at Saint Quintin. The king was so dissatis-
fied with the union, that he deprived his mother of the
revenues she had so long enjoyed — an act of great in-
gratitude, as to the careful education this princess
bestowed on him he owed not only his accession to the
throne, but the reputation of being one of the wisest and
most skilful princes of his time.

92 QUEEN EMINE.

Odive found consolation in a happy though dispro-
portioned marriage ; she added the care and affection
of a mother to the tenderness and love of a wife, and in
the first year of her union gave birth to Stephen, count
of Troycs. Her next accouchement was less fortunate,
and in giving birth to Agnes of Lorraine, she died in the
arms of her young and fond husband, in the year 953.

QUEEN EMINE.

(Reign of Raoul.)

During the t^aptivity of Charles-le-Simple, and the
exile of Odive and her young son, Louis IV., Raoul,
Duke of Normandy, took possession of the throne of
France. His wife Avas Emine, daughter of Robert, duke
of France, and sister of Hugh-le-Grand, and was crowned
at Rheims with her husband in 933. Emine possessed
excellent qualities and great talents, but she was ambi-
tious and fond of rule.

The Count Herbert having threatened to take posses-
sion of Laon, one of the strongest fortresses in France,
Emine, in the absence of Raoul, entered the town, and
so vigorously prepared for defence, that the count would
not venture to make the attack, fearing to be vanquished
by a woman, and retired without striking a blow.

QUEEN GERBERGE. 93

Raoul, who knew the ambitious character of his wife,
and who, when firmly established on the throne, was
desirous of governing alone, placed some restraint upon
her power, which rendered the proud Emine so unhappy
that she died shortly after, aged thirty-three, in 934.
Her only son, Louis, died before his mother.

QUEEN GERBERGE.

(Reign of Louis IV.)

This princess was married to Louis d'Outremer, or
"from beyond sea," in 939, under the following circum-
stances : — Louis was pursuing his enemy, Gislebert,
duke of Lorraine, who was drowned in attempting to
swim with his horse across the Rhine. The Duchess
Gerberge, his widow, vigorously defended her fortress
in the country of Liege ; Louis raised the siege, and
possessed himself of the town, but conceived such a
high esteem for her intrepidity that he asked her hand
in marriage, and obtained it in 939. Gerberge was
daughter of the emperor of Germany, Henry I., sur-
named I'Oiseleur, or the Fowler.

In all his difficulties Louis found in Gerberge not only
a companion in his toils, but all the intellect, activity,
and courage of an intelligent and devoted counsellor.

94 QUEEN GERBERGE.

Her husband having been taken prisoner by the Nor-
mans in 945, she shut herself up in a fortress, which
she refused to surrender till the various negotiations she
had undertaken for his release were eflfected. She de-
manded succour from her brother Otho without success ;
she appealed to Hugh, who could have procured his
liberty, but he did not heed her, or retained Louis pri-
soner under frivolous pretences ; Gerberge also sought
the assistance of the king of England : she did not,
however, procure her husband's liberation till the expi-
ration of a year, and that after Hugh had extorted from
her a promise to surrender Laon. In all these reverses
and disappointments she conducted herself with dignity
and firmness.

But Louis, having a second time undertaken a dis-
astrous enterprise, Avas again reduced to the same
extremities. Accordingly Gerberge confined herself in
the tower of Rheims, which she fortified, and while the
work necessary for the fortification was in progress,
gave birth to a son. IIugh-le-Grand, astonished at so
much bravery and energy, for which he felt the greatest
respect, demanded a conference with the queen, and
offered peace in 952, which she accepted, and sustained
the rights and dignities of the government with great
firmness.

She succeeded in reconciling the discontented nobles,

QUEEN GERBERGE. 95

wlio sided sometimes witli Louis and sometimes with
Hugh, creating a direct quarrel between these rivals,
which she appeased, aided by her sister Iledwige, wife
of Hugh, and thus re-established calm in France. The
people blessed the name of this good queen, who gave
birth to twin princes in the year 954, at the time Louis
lost his life through a fall from his horse.

The position of the queen was critical after the death
of the monarch, as Hugh-le-Grand became the arbiter of
the fate of the royal family. Gerberge sent ambassa-
dors to him entreating his support, and Hugh, though
ambitious, possessed a generous spirit ; he hastened to
her, consoled her with the promise of assistance, and
declared that his own arm should maintain the succes-
sion of the throne of France to her sons ; and though
he could easily have possessed himself of it, was con-
tented with the glorious title of First Lord of France,
and Protector of the kings ; in consequence of which
Lothaire, Louis's eldest son, was proclaimed king of
France in 954.

During the reign of her son, this wise princess di-
rected the affairs of state, and by her excellent counsel
prevented the fall of the reigning house for some years.
Her death, which took place in 969, caused general
regret. She was buried at Rheims, where she termi-
nated her glorious career.

96 QUEEN AND REGENT EMMA.

Gerberge had but one son by her first marriage,
Geoffrey-a-la-Barbe, Duke of Brabant; and five by her
marriage with Louis IV., of "whom the eldest, Lothairc,
was king of France. She had also four daughters,
amongst whom were Matilda, wife of Conrad, king of
Burgundy, and Hermentrude, who was married to a
German prince.

QUEEN AND REGENT EMMA.

(Reign of Lothaire.)

To procure a powerful ally, Lothaire married Emma,
daughter of Lothaire, king of Italy, and of Adelaide of
Burgundy, who was afterwards wife of Otho, emperor
of Germany. The marriage was celebrated at Cologne,
and like all political unions was unfortunate. In 986
her husband, Lothaire, was poisoned, and Emma was
accused of the crime, which she denied, and, as proof
of licr innocence, remarked that, as by Lothaire's death
she would lose her crown, she could have no inte-
rest in committing that act. She also wrote letters to
her mother, protesting that the death of the king was
the greatest calamity that could have befallen her.

It is, however, a well-substantiated fact, that Emma
had many criminal intrigues — above all, with Adalberon,
bishop of Laon, a very depraved prolate, but remarkably

QUEEN AND REGENT EMMA. 97

clever and intellectual. Tliis intimacy, of Avhich the
king was ignorant, added to the desire of governing
France in her son's name, give just reason for suspect-
ing these letters to have been more probably specimens
of eloquence written to conceal her crime, than the sin-
cere expressions of sorrow.

By an assemblage at Rhcims the regency was con-
ferred on Emma, who owed this power to the efforts of
Adalberon.

Her son, Louis V., was nineteen years of age when
Lothaire was murdered ; his father had taken the pre-
caution of having him crowned two years before. This
prince was of a violent disposition, and perceiving that
his mother's interference and conduct were injurious to
the affairs of state, attacked Adalberon's episcopal
town, and drove him from it, on account of his dis-
orderly life.

Louis even threatened to arrest his mother Emma, if
she continued her licentious course of life ; but before
he could carry his project into execution he was poi-
soned, in 987, when in his twentieth year. It is doubt-
ful whether it was Louis the Fifth's own wife, Blanche
of Aquitaine, or Emma, who committed this murder ;
they were each equally capable of it. The death of this
young prince extinguished the Carlovingian race, and
left the field open for Hugh Capet.

VOL. I. — 9

98 QUEEN BLANCHE OF AQUITAINE.

Emma and Adalberon were arrested by order of the
duke of Lorraine, uncle to the king of France, and con-
fined in the same prison, where they were treated with
great rigour. The queen sued for the protection of her
mother, the empress of Germany, and her sister, the
empress of Rome, in vain; and the clergy as vainly
threatened the duke of Lorraine with the thunders of
the church ; he would grant no indulgence to his pri-
soners, until at length Emma effected her escape in 988 ;
but she gained nothing beyond liberty. A miserable
wanderer, often without an asylum, forgotten and aban-
doned to the greatest misery, she died in an obscure spot
the name of which is unknown, in that state of degra-
dation which her conduct so richly merited, in the
year 989.

QUEEN BLANCHE OF AQUITAINE.

(Reign of Louis V.)

Some authors affirm that Blanche of Aquitaine was
daughter of a king of Navarre, or of Rothbauld, count
of Aries ; but she is more generally considered to have
been the daughter of a nobleman of Aquitaine. The
obscurity respecting the death of the last Carlovingian,
and the contradictory opinions entertained by historians,

QUEEN BLANCHE OF AQUITAINE. 99

leave tlie exact facts undetermined ; nevertheless it is
certain that Queen Blanche was as depraved as her
mother-in-law, Emma, and that like her, in 987, she
was accused of having poisoned her husband, Louis Y.
Probably Blanche despised her husband, who was nar-
row-minded and violent ; but there exists no proof of
murder against her, and it is less likelj that she was the
author of the crime than that Louis fell a victim to his
mother's vengeance, having determined to confine her
for her irregular conduct.

Louis and Blanche were an ill-assorted pair; she was
animated, intellectual, and spirited ; the king, on the
contrary, was inert and indolent, and sometimes even
retired to a country residence to be released from her
vivacious manners, which annoyed him. Blanche at-
tached herself to Godfrey, count of Verdun, and after-
wards to Adalberon, when the former, enraged and
jealous, proclaimed her inconstancy. It was on this
occasion that Louis ended his days by poison ; and
Blanche, if innocent on that point, was nevertheless
criminal on others. Anxious to preserve the Crown,
she obtained a declaration from her dying husband that
Hugh Capet should be his successor, on condition that
he would marry his widow.

After the death of her husband she, however, resolved
to sacrifice for a time the enjoyment of the crown, which

100 QUEEN BLANCHE OF AQUITAINE.

she had disposed of, preferring to marry Hugh Capet's
young son, Robert, with the view of recovering the dia-
dem on some future day. But her designs were frus-
trated, Blanche having died childless in 989, before
Hugh Capet's death had left the throne of France vacant
for his son Robert.

CAPETIAX KACE.
QUEEN ADELAIDE.

(Reign of Ilugli Capet.)

Although Adekidc, tlic second wife of Hugh Capet,
vas the maternal branch of that race of the kings of
France to which the Bourbons succeeded, her origin is
uncertain. Some historians say that she was sister to
Emma, queen of France, and daughter of the king of
Italy ; but the most prevalent opinion is that she was
the daughter of William III., duke of Guyenne.

This queen, who founded the monastery of Saint
Frambault at Senlis, and established a hundred Bene-
dictine nuns at the Abbey of Argenteuil, which she
richly endowed, died in 989, shortly after her husband's
coronation, leaving one son, Robert, who succeeded his
father as kin^ of France ; and three daughters, Adwigc,
Adelaide, and Gisele, who married the counts of Ilai-
nault, Nevers, and Ponthieu.

Hugh Capet had also a son called Josselin, who wa3
archbishop of Bourges, and one of the most learned
prelates of his time, but the name of his mother is un-
known.

9* (101)

102 QUEEN BERTHA.

QUEEN BERTHA.

(Reign of Robert.)

Before his union with Bertlia, Robert had married
Rosule, daughter of Berenger, king of Italy, and widow
of Arnould, count of Flanders, but the circumstances of
the marriage are so little known that few authors recog-
nise it. Bertha was daughter of Conrad L, king of
Burgundy, and Matilda of France, and widoAv of Eudes,
count of Chartres, and was married to her cousin Robert
in 996. The union, though one of aifection, was very
unfortunate. According to the laws of the church then
in vigour, a marriage of two persons, between whom
there existed what was called a spiritual alliance, was
not permitted. Robert had stood godfather at the bap-
tismal font for one of Bertha's children by her first
marriage, and this rendered them spiritually allied.

Abbon, abbot of Fleury, was opposed to the celebra-
tion of the nuptials, but his efforts to prevent it having
been fruitless, he appealed to the court of Rome, as at
that time the Popes exercised unbounded sovereignty.
Robert omitted to request a dispensation from Pope
Gregory V., which would have insured his alliance, but
this neglect wounded Gregory's pride, and he excommu-
nicated the erring pair, as well as those members of the

QUEEN BERTHA. 103

Clmrcli who had authorized the union. The execution
of this sentence was opposed to tJie riii;hts of the French
people ; and the king and queen, who were tenderly
attached, and dreaded the dissolution of a bond which
formed their happiness, appeared indiiferent to the
thunder of Rome, and refused to submit.

Gregory V. assembled a council, before whom he pro-
nounced the marriage between Robert and Bertha, inces-
tuous and null ; fulminated an anathema upon Archam-
baud, bishop of Tours, who gave the nuptial benediction,
condemned him to seven years of penitence, and placed
the kingdom under an interdict until the king should
dismiss Bertha. At this period, ignorance and super-
stition reigned in France, and to know how to write was
an extraordinary mark of learning ; so that in this state
of barbarism the people trembled before the power of
the pontiff.

According to the law published by Pepin le Bref at
the Council of A'erberie, in 755: " Un excommunic no
devoit pas entrer dans I'dglise, ni boire ni manger avec
Ics autres Chr<^tiens. Sachez," said the holy fathers,
" dont le roi n'est ici que I'organe, qu'aucun no pent ni
boire ni manger avec lui, ni recevoir scs parens, ni lui
douner le baiscr de paix, ni se joindre a lui dans la
priere, ni le salucr ; ct si quelqu'un comrauni(][UC avec

104 QUEEN BERTHA.

liii de plein gre, qu'il sachc qu'il est excommunie lui-
meme."

The execution of interdiction consisted in closing the
churches, refusing the sacrament, and denying Christian
burial to the dead ; the church bells ceased, the pictures
in the sanctuaries •yyere covered with black cloth, the
statues of the saints were taken down, clothed in black,
and placed on beds of cinders and thorns ; everything
wore an aspect of gloom in France, and the terrified peo-
ple paid such humble deference to the orders of the pope,
that the king was universally abandoned ; two devoted
servants alone remained with him, and those threw
everything which the hands of the royal pair had touched,
into the fire or to the dogs.

The King must have had great energy and determi-
nation, as well as sincere conjugal aff"ection, to remain
with Bertha through all these evils. She was not less
devoted to Robert, who united an elegant person to most
rare and amiable qualities, and who, although sought by
all the princesses of France and the neighboui-ing coun-
tries, preferred Bertha, whom he had known from her
infancy ; so that the bishops, in consenting to the mar-
riage, were actuated by the love of their country, for
v^hich they anticipated great advantage from this union.

Although very devout, Robert was too much attached
to his wife to yield to the will of the pontiff. In the

QUEEN BERTHA, 105

retired chateau of Vauvert, near Paris, tlie unfortunate
pair braved the Roman cui'se, wandering together unat-
tended through the groves and meadows, and admiring
in the pure sky the imoge of a mikl and beneficent
Creator.

The irritated pope had the follo^Ying formula pro-
claimed against the king, with the sound of the trumpet,
throughout France :* " Cursed be he in all cities; cm-sed
be he in all countries ! Cursed with him be his children,
his cattle, and his lands. No Christian shall consider
him as his brother, or return him the salute of peace ;
no priest shall pray for him, or permit him to approach
the altar to receive Divine grace. Friendship and the
consolation of hope shall not visit him when on his death-

* " Qu'il soit maudit dans les cites ; qu'il soit maudit dans les
campagnes ! Que maudit soit avec lui ses enfans, ses troupeaux, et
ses domaines ! Qu'aucun Chretien ne le traite de frere et ne lui rende
le salut de paix ; qu'aucun 16vite ne prie en son nom, ni I'admette i
I'autel des faveurs divines. Que ramiti<3 ni la consolation de I'esp^-
rance ne viennent point a son lit de mort ; qu'une main ch^rie ne
lui ferme point les paupiercs ; que ses cntrailles s'echappent de son
sein cntr'ouvcrt ; que son cadavrc domeure sans sepulture sur le sol
epouvante, sans que le pelerin jette un peu de tcrre sur ses restes
mis<irables ; que son nom soit en horreur clicz les races futures, ou
plutot que sa m()moirc soit abolie parmi les liommes ; qu'il soit en
opprobre aux generations futures, et que I'aurore d'une autre vie ne
r^jouisse son fantomc." — Anquetil.

106 QUEEN BERTHA.

bed, neither shall any beloved hand close his eyelids ;
his entrails shall burst from his body ; his corpse shall
remain unburied on the dismayed soil, and no pilgrim
shall be suffered to throw a little earth upon his miserable
remains ; his name shall be held in opprobrium and hor-
ror by all future generations, or rather, his memory shall
be abolished from among men ; and the Aurora of
another life shall never dawn to rejoice his spirit." The
mutual affection of Robert and Bertha consoled them
in their grief; but the porticoes of the Chateau Vauvert
were constantly filled by the unhappy people, who, on
their knees, entreated Robert to restore them to the ex-
ercise of the religion they so much loved and so super-
stitiously practised. The good king was desirous of
satisfying his desolate subjects, but when he gazed upon
his affectionate wife, he rejected the idea of separation ;
till at length Bertha, more courageous than the king,
voluntarily resolved to submit to this generous sacrifice,
which was to restore peace to the kingdom and dignity
to the throne. Accordingly she quitted the court in
998, and the grief she endured caused the premature
birth of a still-born infant, which the ignorant people
attributed to a just punishment from Heaven.

Bertha, secure in the love of her husband, from whom
she was so cruelly separated, still hoped to remount the
throne. In lOOG she made a voyage to Rome, trusting

QUEEN COXSTANCE. ^yj

that she should be enabled to persuade Gregory's suc-
cessor, Scrgius IV., to confirm her marriage ; but this
attempt was useless, for Robert had already married
again, and the unfortunate victim of papal despotism
devoted the remainder of her life to erecting convents,
in one of which she died in lOlG. Bertha left one son,
Eudes de Champagne, who became prime minister of
France.

QUEEN CONSTANCE.

Two years after his separation from Bertha, Robert
determined on remarrying, and made choice of Con-
stance, daughter of William V., count of Provence, who
was exceedingly beautiful, but imperious, severe, fickle,
and deceitful. Her capricious temper was the torment
of the good King Robert, who might have been happy
with Bertha, but for the turbulent interference of the
popes.

Educated in the voluptuous climate of Provence, Con-
stance had acquired a luxurious taste, and brought a
troop of comedians, dancers, singers, troubadours, and
extravagant young nobles, who insensibly introduced
luxury and libertinism into the court. The afi-cction of

108 QUEEN CONSTANCE.

the kino; rendered Constance so arroo;ant, that she alien-
ated all hearts from her. The manly simplicity which
formerly reigned in the palace, gave place to eifeminacy
and foppishness. The treasury could not supply her
prodigal expenses ; each day she contrived new enter-
tainments, in which she appeared in divers superb
dresses, displaying to the best advantage the charms with
which she was so richly endowed by nature. She gave
directions that all the young nobles should wear arms in
her presence, and occupied herself with instructions
respecting the attire, accoutrements, and equipages of
those who surrounded her.

To all this extravagant display Constance added a
most blind and ignorant superstition. She had a dream,
in which Saint Savinien informed her that she would be
supplanted by her rival Bertha, who would avail herself
of the discontents which she caused the people ; and to
insure his intercession in her favour, the queen ordered
a superb coffin, enriched Avith gold, to be made for the
saint's remains.

Robert could not attach himself to Constance ; he did
not even honour her with the title of wife or queen in
familiar conversation; and being indifferent to her, he
conceived an affection for Almafrede, daughter of the
count of Nogent, and the betrothed of Hugh de Beau-
voir, count palatine, who, having discovered the attach-

QUEEN CONSTANCE. 109

ment of his sovereign, resigned lier hand : the king
appointed Hugh to a high post in the government as an
acknowledgment, and often went with him to Nogent,
to visit Ahnafrede, by Avhom he had a son named Amauri,
count of Montfort.

Constance engaged her brother, Foulques Nerre, count
of Anjou, to revenge this infidelity, and the king having
one day gone out with his minister to hunt, several gentle-
men suddenly surprised them, and seizing the count de
Beauvoir, they assassinated him before the monarch's
eyes, in spite of his prayers and menaces. The assassins
were soon discovered to be the emissaries of the count
of Anjou, who, to gratify his sister, caused the king
equal grief for the loss of his friend, and indignation at
the afii'ont ; and Foulques was obliged to appear before
the king and humbly ask pardon for his crime.

Robert demanded a divorce from the pope, but the
bishops interfered, and Constance had the satisfaction
of seeing her vengeance completed, for the king, fearing
that the same melancholy fate that befell Hugh might be
reserved for Almafrede, sent her away ; shortly after
which she died in a convent, in 1017.

It was then customary for the heir to the throne of
France to be crowned before the demise of his father,
and the coronation of Hugh was accordingly solemnized.
Constance, who loved but one of her sons, and was desi-

VOL. I. — 10

no QUEEN CONSTANCE.

rous that her favourite, Robert, should supplant the two
elder, resolved upon exciting the young monarch to rebel ;
but not finding him so docile as she expected, she tor-
mented him, and at length by constant ill-treatment
obliged him to quit the court and take up arms.

Instead of resenting this conduct of his son, Robert,
■who knew the cause of the revolt, sought him, recon-
ducted him to the palace, and treated him so kindly that
he made a sincere friend of him. This young prince,
■who was the ornament of the court, died in the flower
of his age, in the year 1026, and was lamented by all
but his mother, who felt that one obstacle to her wishes
was removed, and the chances of Robert's elevation
augmented.

King Robert, although overwhelmed with grief, had
Henry crowned at Rheims in 1027, upon which Con-
stance endeavoured to excite Robert against his brother
Henry, but she failed in her attempt to create a quarrel
between her sons ; and thus disappointed in her wishes,
this bad wife and mother conceived a hatred for both of
them, and rendered their lives so miserable that they
were obliged to leave the court, as their elder brother
had done ; and were brought back in like manner by
their patient and excellent parent.

The death of Robert, which took place in 1031, gave
Henry I. the possession of the crown ; but Constance

QUEEN CONSTANCE. HI

conspired against liim, and having many nobles on her
side, took possession of Soissons and Sens, with several
other of the strongest fortresses in the kingdom ; and
but for the assistance of Robert-le-Diable, duke of Nor-
mandy, Henry I. would, in all probability, have lost his
crown.

Constance founded the convent of the Augustins of
Notre Dame de Paissy, and the stronghold of Puiset, in
Beauce. Her superstitious devotion amounted to fana-
ticism ; her confessor, Stephen, was accused of belong-
ing to a sect who professed JNlanicheism, by which he
incurred the penalty of death by burning : the queen
met him when being led to execution, and, according to
the custom of the time, put out one of his eyes with a
small stick which she carried in her hand for the pur-
pose, and afterwards assisted in the execution of this
unfortunate man and his companions, w^ho were confined
in a small thatched hut, surrounded with combustibles,
which being set on fire, they were consumed in the
flames.

This bad queen died in Melun in 1032, and was inter-
red at Saint Denis, by the side of her good husband,
whose repose she had so grievously troubled.

France acquired but one advantage by the marriao-e
of its king with Constance, and that was an involuntary
benefit, the result of her vanity, she having introduced

112 QUEEN ANNE OF RUSSIA.

poets from Provence, to celebrate her beauty, before
which poetry was only known and cultivated in the Latin
tongue.

She had four sons — Hugh, Henry I., Robert, and
Eudes, — and two daughters, Adele and Adelaide ; the
former married Robert-le-Diable, duke of Normandy,
and father of William the Conqueror of England ; the
second was was united to Baldowin V., count of Flanders.

QUEEN ANNE OF RUSSIA.

(Reign of Henry I.)

Henry's first wife was Matilda, daughter of the
emperor Conrad IL, who died without leaving any child-
ren ; and Henry, at the solicitations of his council,
married Anne, daughter of the Czar Jaroslaw of Russia,
the renown of that princess's merits and beauty having
reached the court of France. The king sent the bishop
of Meaux with a great escort into that distant and then
almost unknown country, and Jaroslaw confided his
daughter to the faith of the French ambassador in the
year 1044.

During the first nine years of her marriage Anne
addressed fervent and unceasing prayers to heaven for
the gift of a child ; at length her supplications were

QUEEN ANNE OF RUSSIA. 113

granted in 1053, and she gave birtli to PhiliiD, aftei'Tvards
king of France.

At the death of the king, which occurred in 1060,
Anne, feeling herself unequal to support the Aveight of
government, renounced the regency, as well as the guar-
dianship of her son Philip, and retired to the abbey of
St. Vincent de Senlis, which she had rebuilt and endowed.

A letter addressed to her by Pope jS^icholas II. has
been preserved, in which that pontiff recommends her to
multiply her donations to the poor, and to establish mo-
nasteries ; he also encourages her to employ herself, as
she had always done, both as queen and Christian, with
the duties of her position. But the queen, who had
always during her husband's life enjoyed much influence
over his mind, as well as great authority at court, found
the retirement of the cloister tedious and dull ; and
having received an ofier of marriage from Raoul, Count
de Crespy in Valois, Anne accepted the offer, and was
married in lOGl, although there were obstacles to the
alliance.

Raoul, who had repudiated his wife to obtain the
queen, was a near relation of Ilenry I. ; and this pair,
having married without the consent of the bishops, were
excommunicated. They were too much attached to sepa-
rate on that account : nevertheless time effected that
which religious threats and denunciations failed to do ;
10*

114 QUEEN BEllTIIA OF HOLLAND.

and Anne and Raoul, wlio had become indifferent to
each other, availed themselves of the customary method,
-under the veil of religion, to set aside their union,
pleading a spiritual alliance, which alliance perhaps
never existed, but it was not difficult to produce witnesses
to prove it. This marriage lasted six years, and was
dissolved in 1067. Raoul is said to have assumed the
monastic garb, and became archbishop of Rheims ; but
the convent having no attractions for Anne, and her
only relatives in France being her sons, who were
engaged in their own affairs, she retired to Russia, and
ended her days in the bosom of her family, in 1082.

Queen Anne left three sons, — Philip I., king of France,
Robert, and Hugh.

QUEEN BERTHA OF HOLLAND.

(Reign of riiilip I.)

Beiitha, daughter of Florent L, count of Holland
and Friesland, and of Gertrude of Saxony, was man'ied
to Philip L, king of France, in 1071. This queen dis-
appointed the hopes of the king and nation during
the first ten years of her marriage, at the expiration of
wliich time she gave birth to Lonis-le-Gros, in 1081.

QUEEN BEllTRADE DE MONTFOET. 115

The king was overjoyed at the birth of the prince royal,
and the event was celebrated with every demonstration,
both of solemn thanksgivings and gay rejoicinn-s.

After the birth of three children, the king, who had
lived twenty years in a state of happiness and tranquillity
with his wife, began to give himself up to excesses, and
discovered for the first time that Bertha had been more
nearly allied to him before their marriage than the
limits of the Church allowed, and that in consequence
his marriage was illegal and criminal ; and he had no
difficulty in finding genealogists to prove the alliance,
and ecclesiastics to confirm the divorce. Accordingly
Bertha was dismissed by her inconstant husband in 1091,
and died forsaken and forgotten in 1093.

She had three children, — Louis VL, king of France ;
Henry, who died young ; and Constance, who married
Bohemond II., prince of Antioch and Tarentum.

QUEEN BERTBADE DE MONTFORT.

After the divorce of Bertha, King Philip I. demanded
the hand of Emma, daughter of the count of Sicily, which
was most readily given. The young betrothed em-
barked in a vessel richly stored with magnificent pre-
sents, and landed on the coast of Provence ; but the

116 QUEEN BERTRADE DE ]MONTFORt.

fickle monarch had changed his determination ere she
arrived, and Emma returned to her country to repine
over this disappointment and cruel affront.

Bertrade, daughter of Simon, duke of Montfort, and
wife to Foulques Bechin, count of Anjou, had won the
heart of Philip : this princess was beautiful and intel-
lectual, and so agreeable in conversation that she could
adapt it to all dispositions. She was married to the
count of Anjou to satisfy the ambitious wishes of her
guardian, although the count had already divorced two
wives. Bertrade was no sooner acquainted with the
divorce of the king, than she conceived a design of
sharing his throne ; and under a pretext of disgust for
her husband, who was old and sickly, she sent a confi-
dential messenger to Philip, proposing that he should
carry her off.

The king, who admired the beautiful countess, and
was blinded by her protestations of esteem and friend-
ship, which flattered his self-love, did not perceive that
ambition dictated the proposal, and favoured Bertrade's
culpable designs. They met in the church of St, Mar-
tin at Tours, where Philip had engaged to regulate some
affairs of interest for Foulques ; and during the conse-
cration of the baptismal fonts in St. John's Chapel, while
the inhabitants were engaged in the religious ceremony,
Bertrade left the cliurch, and, escorted by a troop of

Q-UEEN BERTRADE DE MOXTFORT. 117

Philip's cavalrj, proceeded to Orleans, ^vlicre Eudes, the
Bishop of Bayeux, consecrated this adulterous marriage,
"which the count of Anjou silently suffered to take place,
in 1096.

The Pope Urban IL, and his successor Pascal II.,
vainly opposed this scandalous alliance. Roger, the
pope's legate, was charged to examine into the circum-
stances of the king's divorce, and assembled a council
at Autun, by which Philip was excommunicated for es-
pousing Bertrade ; he Avould not, however, separate from
her, and the French clergy, who were jealous of the
liberties of their church, perseveringly contended against
the authority of three ambitious popes, who had been
successively absolute for the last ten years, and notwith-
standing the thunders of Rome and the serious conse-
quences which might have accrued from this opposition,
Bertrade still retained the title and honours of Queen
of France. The pope, to punish the obstinacy of Philip,
deprived him of the power of nominating the bishops of
his kingdom, and, in order to console the count of Anjou
for his wife's infidelity, conferred on him the right of
electing the bishop of Angers.

Bertrade was unworthy of the king's regard, for while
Louis (his son by Bertha) was in England, she endea-
voured to procure his death, to insure the elevation of
her own son to the throne. Henry I., king of England,

118 QUEEN BERTRADE DE SIONTFORT.

received a letter, bearing Philip's seal, requesting that
he would have Louis secretly murdered, or retain him
prisoner. Henry, who would not violate the rights of
hospitality, to be the minister of Bertrade's cruel ambi-
tion, informed Louis, who returned to France, and throw-
ing himself at Philip's feet, begged him to strike witli
his own hand the son he had condemned. An expla-
nation was the consequence, and the young prince de-
manded justice, declaring that if he was refused, he would
satisfy his own vengeance. This protestation nearly cost
him his life ; for the queen gave him poison, of which he
did not take sufficient to destroy him, and which was
afterwards analyzed. The prince would have killed
Bertrade, if the king had not interfered and reconciled
them.

In 1104, Philip obtained absolution for his marriage
with Bertrade, after having walked barefooted during
winter to demand it of the council of bishops at Paris.
The old count of Anjou was base enough to receive a
visit from the king and queen at Anjou, where he enter-
tained them with magnificent feasts, and loaded his truant
wife with honours : this despicable conduct so astonished
the people at that time, that it was generally believed
Bertrade had bewitched him.

Philip's affection for his beautiful queen never dimi-
nished. After his death, which occurred in 1108, she

QUEEN ADELAIDE. 119

retired to the convent of Hautebruyere, near Cliartres,
where she took the veil in 1115, preferring to sustain the
dignity of queen dowager to forming another alliance,
although still young and beautiful. Bertrade made many
donations to the monastery of Fontevrault, but did not
long survive her seclusion from the world ; for, having
subm.itted to the most austere and rigorous rules of the
convent, her health suffered from the change, and she
died in 1117. She was buried in the church of the con-
vent of Hautebruyere. Iler only child by the count of
Anjou was Foulques, king of Jerusalem ; her offspring
by King Philip, were Philip, baron of Meung-sur-Loire,
and Fleury ; and two daughters — Cecil, who was married
to Ponce of Toulouse, count of Tripoli, and Eustatia,
wife of the count d'Etamps.

QUEEN ADELAIDE, or ALICE OF SAVOY.

(Reign of Louis VI.)

Before Louis VL, surnamed le Gros, ascended the
throne, he was married to Luciane, daughter of Guy,
count of Kochefort, and lived with her for three years
on terms of affection ; but her father having on several
occasions arrogated to himself power which belonged
only to royalty, he so seriously offended the prince, that

120 QUEEN ADELAIDE.

he determined to humble the pride of the count by dis-
gracing his daughter. He therefore demanded a divorce,
alleging that the marriage had never been consummated,
and the separation was pronounced in the council of
Troyes, by order of Pope Pascal II., in the year 1107.
Luciane lost the crown of France through the fault of
her father, and in 1116 was married to Guichard, lord
of Banjeu. History mentions nothing further respecting
this princess.

Louis VI. hesitated some time before he contracted a
second marriage, and at length was persuaded, at the
solicitation of Yves, bishop of Chartres, who possessed
great influence over him, to ask the hand of Adelaide,
or Alice de Maurienne, daughter of Humbert IV., count
of Savoy, and of Giscle de Burgundy, who was sister
of Pope Calixte II., and a descendant of Charlemagne.
The request was complied with, and the marriage cele-
brated at Paris in the year 1116.

Louis had great love and esteem for his wife, who was
in every respect worthy of it : he even united her name
with his own in all public matters, such as the compiling
of charters, &c. ; and although she performed no distin-
guished part during her reign, she is nevertheless highly
to be commended for the attention and care she bestowed
on the education of her children, daily presiding over
all that concerned their studies, and, Avhat is much more

QUEEN ADELAIDE. 121

important, setting tliem an example of moralit;- and
virtue.

Louis, liappy to return to Lis palace "when war per-
mitted him the relaxation, enjoyed with Alice that too
frequent stranger to the palace — domestic peace. She
had the misfortune of seeing her eldest son, Philip,
killed hj a fall from his horse in 1131 ; in consequence of
which, her second son, Louis, was crowned at Rheims
in the place of his eldest brother. The solemnization
was performed v,ith great pomp, by Pope Lmocent IL,
amidst an immense assemblage, and the queen assisted
with the king at this brilliant ceremony.

Alice had seven sons and a daughter by the king ;
Hugh and Philip, who died young ; Louis VII., king of
France ; Henry, archbishop of Rheims ; Philip, elected
bishop of Paris, which he refused in favour of his pre-
ceptor, Peter Lombard; Robert, count of Dreux, from
whom the celebrated Cardinal Richelieu descended ;
Peter, prince of Courtenay, by his marriage with Isa-
bclle, daughter of Renaud ; and Constance, who was the
wife of Eustachc of Boulogne, and afterwards queen of
England.

Louis VI. died in 1137, and a year after that occur-
rence Alice married Matthew de Montmorency, consta-
ble of France, by whom she had a daughter, who was
united to Gaucher de Chatillon.

VOL. 1. — 11

122 QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE.

After having lived fifteen years with the constable,
AUce obtained permission to pass the remainder of her
life in the seclusion of the abbey Montmartre, near Paris,
which she had founded for the Benedictine nuns, and
where she died, and was buried, in 1154. Her ashes
have been twice displaced by the abbesses of that
monastery.

QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE.

(Reign of Louis VII.)

When Louis-le-Gros was declining, he received the
will of William X., duke of Aquitaine, in which he in-
trusted his daughter Eleonor to the king's guardianship,
bequeathing the inheritance of Guyenne and Poitou to
his son Louis-le-Jeune, on condition that he would marry
her. Louis, who would not suffer so excellent an oppor-
tunity of extending his kingdom to escape him, knowing
by the effect of his wise laws that the royal power was
greatly increased since the diminution of feudality,
added one more benefit to the many he had conferred on
his country, by engaging his son to accept the duke of
Aquitaine 's offer. This condition was not .difficult to
comply with, Eleonor being very beautiful, and only
sixteen years of age ; she vras intellectual and accom-

QUEEN ELEOXOR OF GUYENNE. 123

plisLed, but lier manners, though polished, were affected,
and she was fond of admu-ation.

After paying the last duties to his father, Louis set
out for Guyenne, followed by an escort of five hundred
young lords, the flower of the nobility. He conducted
his young bride to the court of France after the celebra-
tion of the marriage, which took place in Bordeaux in
1137, with a splendour and magnificence hitherto un-
known.

Although Louis, Avho was the same age as Eleonor,
was very remarkable for his pleasing countenance and
tall stature, she was not lono; in discoveriuo; that he was
narrow-minded, frivolous, and suspicious ; and, moreover,
that he did not occupy himself with the affairs of
state. For some years their union was untroubled,
although the queen, who was of an ambitious temper,
saw with a jealous eye the influence which the abbot
Suger possessed over the mind of her husband, and the
high authority he held in the government of the king-
dom ; she was also much dissatisfied at the scrupulous
and superstitious attention which he puitl to his devo-
tions.

It was this religious enthusiasm which caused Louis
to conceive the surprising and unexpected project of
wresting the Holy Land from tlie hands of the Infidels.
An ecclesiastical assemblage took place at Vezelais in

124 QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYEXNE.

1146, at which Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, protested
with energy and enthusiasm against the violation of the
Holy Land, holding forth the duty and necessity of an
expedition to Palestine ; and, without considering the
difficulties of the undertakino- or the evils that miirht
arise from the enterprise, the Second Crusade was
decided on.

The king, who was present at this assembly, was the
first to decorate himself with a red cross, a sign of dis-
tinction which all the cavaliers of the Holy Land
adopted.

The queen, Avho was delighted at the prospect of an
adventure, imitated her husband in assuming the red
cross, and looked forward with great satisfaction towards
her long voyage to Palestine, where she hoped to sec
her uncle Raymond, duke of Antioch, to whom she had
been much attached from childhood.

At the expiration of a year the preparations for this
expedition were completed, much to the dissatisfaction of
the people, who were burthened with taxes to supply the
necessary expenses : the king and queen set out from
Aigues-Mortes for Asia in 1147. Many women, insti-
gated by the same principles of curiosity and religious
belief, accompanied their husbands ; and even young
ladies followed their lovers on this sainted pilgrimage.

Other nations followed the example of Louis VIL,

QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYExNNE. 125

and the v.liole of Europe precipitated itself into Asia.
Poets accompanied these Avarriors to immortalize the
victories of the brave, and the beauty of the fair, by
their songs ; amongst these was the famous William
d'Agoult, who is represented by a contemporary as " bon
gentilhomme, poete aimable ; I'enfant ch^ri des dames ;
hien amoureux d'une Princesse, mais pres des demoi-
selles grandement deborde en toutes actions."

This numerous army of soldiers, priests, abbesses, and
wives, arrived at Constantinojile in much disorder,
and greatly reduced in numbers. Louis was defeated
in the desert of Syria, and soon lost the flower of
his nobility and of his soldiers. He found Eleonor's
uncle Raymond at Antioch, surrounded by infidels, and
greatly in want of assistance. The meeting gave the
greatest gratification to the king and queen, as well as
Raymond, who demanded succour of the former ; but
Louis declared that he had made a vow to proceed at
once to Jerusalem, promising that he would afterwards
willingly lend him all the aid in his power.

Raymond, who was in the greatest extremity, used
every endeavour to persuade Louis ; he applied to
Eleonor, who multiplied her intercessions in favour of
lier uncle, but in vain : a spirit of fanaticism possessed
the king, and ho persisted in a refusal, which so incensed
the queen, that slie united with Raymond to revenge
11*

126 QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE.

herself. This prince did all he could to heighten her
discontent, and induced her to remain with him at
Antioch hj offering her much pleasure and entertain-
ment at his palace.

It was in this place that the queen conceived an affec-
tion for the famous Sultan Saladin, which has been the
foundation of so many romances, and Raymond encou-
raged the attachment, in the hope of gaining an ally in
Saladin. This young Sultan, whom Eleonor saw for the
first time at a tournament in the year 1148, gained her
admiration by his skill in arms and horsemanship ; she
presented him with a scaxf, which her own fingers had
embroidered, and received diamonds and perfumes from
him, till at length her indiscreet conduct became so appa-
rent that it reached the ears of the king, who was told
that the queen had been seen seated beneath the shade of
a grove of palm-trees, caressing the young lord of the
Saracens.

It is said that when Saladin declared his passion, she
replied that she only understood love in French, and that
the young Turk applied himself so diligently and made
such surprising efforts to acquire the language, that ho
was a proficient in twenty days : we may, however, be
permitted to doubt this statement.

This was not her only improper attachment. Bran-
tume says, "Notre jeune roine El^onore n'accompagna

QUEEN ELEOXOR OF GUYENNE. 127

son mari en outre-mcr et en la guerre sainte, que pour
pratiquer souvent la gendarmerie et la soldatesque."

Louis, alarmed at the reports Tyhich "were spreading
relative to his wife, conceived a just indignation against
Eleonor and Raymond ; he immediately quitted Jerusa-
lem, and returned to Antioch, where he entreated her to
fly from this dangerous court. Her refusal increased
his suspicions ; accordingly the hing caused her to be
forcibly taken from the palace.

Eleonor, expecting henceforward nothing but re-
proaches and perhaps punishment, acquired a still greater
dislike for her husband, who, on his part, was occupied in
thinking of the best plan to adopt towards bringing about
the separation which both most ardently desired ; she
remarked, before her attendants, that he was more calcu-
lated to be a monk than a king, because he was desirous
of introducing the pccifliar custom of shaving the head
and chin, and appearing in every respect unlike a cava-
lier such as she admired.

In 1149, Louis, having lost nearly all his army, had
much difficulty in re-embarking for France, which he
at length succeeded in doing, after having performed
various acts of devotion at Jerusalem, which was all the
satisfaction he derived from this expedition. After their
return to France, in the year 1150, Eleonor gave birth

128 QUEEN ELEONOR, OF GUYExVNE.

to a daughter kno^N'n by the name of La belle Alix, wlio
v/as afterwards married to the Count of Blois.

Louis immediately resolved upon making preparations
for his divorce, though eagerly opposed by the sage advice
of his prime minister Suger, who proposed that at least
he should obtain the pope's consent ; but Eleonor, -whose
tastes were quite at variance with the mystical and serious
character of her husband, offered no opposition. All
the barons and bishops were assembled at Beaugency on
the occasion, and the king presided over the council :
the archbishop of Bordeaux was charged with Eleonor's
defence, as she declined to be present, and he maintained
that it was the queen's desire to comply with the king's
wishes for a separation, on account of the existence of a
relationship ; and on this pretext the divorce was pro-
nounced in 1152, during the popedom of Eugene III.,
but with a clause permitting the parties to marry again.

Louis VII. is most seriously to blame on this occasion
for his conduct ; as, instead of confining his wife in a
convent, he put it in her power to form another alliance,
by which he abandoned all title to the provinces which
he had obtained by his marriage with her ; which
unpardonable folly afterwards produced those intermi-
nable wars between England and France, in which human
life was so prodigally sacrificed.

The queen left her two daughters, Mary and Alice,

QUEEN ELEOXOR OF GUYENNE. 129

■with Louis, and departed for Poitou, -wliich, "with Guy-
enne, was evacuated by the French garrisons, and from
that time those jDlaces were governed in the name of the
Duchess Eleonor.

Her beauty and wealth caused her to encounter some
obstacles on her return to Poitiers, for Thibaut, count
of Champagne, attempted to carry her oif, but failed in
his ambitious enterprise ; and Geoffry, count of Anjou,
had formed the same project, intending to take posses-
sion of her at the Bridge of Piles, and marry her by
force ; but the princess, having been informed of his
determination, took another road, and arrived safely at
the place of her destination.

Some time previously to her divorce, Eleonor, who
had declared she would marry none but a real monarch,
became fascinated with Henry Plantagenet, duke of Nor-
mandy, Maine and Anjou, and successor to the throne
of Stephen, king of England ; and she immediately
formed a project to ally herself to him, as being of a
disposition more compatible with her own.

The chancellor of England, Thomas a Becket, archbi-
shop of Canterbury, describes Henry Plantagenet as
fair, and possessing an intellectual and thoughtful
countenance, his smile gracious and amiable, but when
irritated, fierce and terrible in his expression ; tall, with
a majestic air and good address; on horseback, easy and

130 QUEEN ELEOXOR OF GUYEXXE.

graceful ; having a broad cliest and muscular members.
Such was the man who won the heart of Eleonor. This
prince, who was then but twenty years of age, foresaw
the advantages of a union with the ex-queen, and beinf^
desirous of aggrandizing his dominions, and pleased with
her beauty and vivacity, he demanded her hand in mar-
riage, which the princess accorded with much warmth.
As soon as this news arrived at the court of France,
the king and lords foresaw with alarm the great power
of the future king of England, possessor of the finest
provinces of France; and employed every possible
means to prevent the marriage, such as anonymous let-
ters and satirical railleries, but their efforts were useless :
Henry was sufficiently clear-sighted to discover the inte-
rested motives which induced them to take these steps,
and two months after the divorce was pronounced at
Eeaugency, he proceeded to Poitiers, accompanied by all
the nobility of Normandy, and had his marriage with
Eleonor solemnized. Thus the vigilance of Louis and
the Abbot Sugor was deceived by the skill and policy
of a princess aged twenty-seven years, whose projects
were satisfied at the expense of the king's honour, and
the injury of France, and which was the origin of the
evils that country sustained by the long connexion of
the two nations, between whom there was incessant war
for upwards of three centuries. Two years after tlie

QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYEXNE. 131

marriage of Henry and Eleonor, the death of Stephen
placed the crown of England on Henry's brow, and
the new sovereigns proceeded to take possession of their
throne.

The queen's mode of life in England was very unlike
her former days, which she had spent in France, in the
midst of the pleasures of court and the triumphs of
beauty : moreover, Henry was inconstant and voluptuous,
and Eleonor failed in fixing his heart ; he displayed the
same sentiments of coquetry towards her, which she had
formerly manifested towards Louis, and the king of
France Avas revenged by the king of England.

Though she lived on apparently good terms with her
husband, the queen was furiously jealous, and deter-
mined that nothing should prevent her punishing her
unfaithful husband ; but Henry's firmness and determi-
nation compelled her to restrain her animosity for some
years. It was no longer the credulous and complaisant
Louis of France with whom she had to deal, but the
proud Henry Plantagenet of England, father of Richard
Coeur-de-Lion ; nevertheless Eleonor was not to be sub-
dued— she only waited an opportunity of revenge.

The king's eldest son, Henry, was crowned, at the
suggestion of his mother, and with the consent of his
father, in 1107, and Eleonor availed herself of this op-
portunity to instil into the mind of the young prince

132 QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE.

that tliis act of paternal goodness conferred on him the
actual rights of royalty, and encouraged the son to revolt
ajrainst his father, in Avhich she assisted him with her
intrigues in the two courts of France and England.

Accordingly, Henry II. was attacked by Eleonor's
two brothers, the duke of Bretagne and Aquitaine, and
by the king of Scotland ; but that grandeur of soul and
courage which rendered his name so celebrated, enabled
him to overcome all these opponents : his rebel sons
were forced to submit, but the vindictive Eleonor was
not satisfied.

English chronicles relate that amongst Henry's favour-
ites was a young lady of great beauty, to whom he was
devotedly attached, named Rosamond Clifford ; and to
protect her from the queen's jealous enmity, he placed
her in a castle carefully preserved by a labyrinth which
surrounded it, and which is viewed by the curious Avho
visit Woodstock till the present time with much interest.
Notwithstanding the king's care, Eleonor, taking advan-
tage of his absence in Ireland, perseveringly trod the
mazes of the labyrinth until she discovered the path
which conducted her to the fair Rosamond's dwelling ;
where, after loading her with invectives, she offered her
a choice of death, by dagger or poison, which she pre-
sented to her ; the unfortunate girl chose the latter, and
the queen not only compelled her to swallow the draught,

QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE. 133

but barbarously remained to watch the convulsive agony
of her victim. Not content with this vengeance, she in-
cessantly nourished a project she had formed to dethrone
Henry II., and found in her former husband, Louis VII.,
an ally base enough to favour her resentment.

Bent upon Henry's downfall, this queen became the
very soul of intrigue and disorder ; and, aided by the
French king, she succeeded a second time in arming the
sons against their father, and the people against their
king ; on this occasion Richard-Coeur-de-Lion, and Geof-
frey, joined in their brother Henry's rebellion, in the
year 1173. But again justice triumphed, the princes
submitted and obtained their father's pardon ; but Eleo-
nor was arrested by order of the king, and expiated her
crimes in a close prison.

At length the good king Henry died, and Richard
Coeur-de-Lion succeeded to the throne, his elder brother,
Henry, being dead. Richard's first act was to liberate
his mother, who, perhaps from a feeling of sympathy for
those who were in the same unhappy condition as she
had been, persuaded him to throw open the doors of the
prisons in every town through which she passed ; but,
however kind the intention, this was certainly a bad act
for society.

Fifteen years of captivity did not serve to soften Eleo-
nor's malignant disposition. Before his death, Henry

VOL. I. — 12

134 QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE.

had osked tlie hand of the princess Alice of France,
daughter of Louis VII., and Alice of Champagne, foi
his son Richard, which was accorded, and Alice proceeded
to England ; but an idle rumour had reached the queen,
that Ilenrj intended to divorce her and marry Alice.
From that moment the powerless, but still jealous cap-
tive, conceived an inveterate dislike to this princess.
She represented to her son Richard that Alice had been
the object of his father's passion, and easily contrived to
disgust Richard with the idea of the marriage ; accor-
dingly Alice was sent back to France, not, however,
without considerable presents to soften the affront.

Eleonor next proceeded to the court of the king of
Navarre, and obtained the hand of his daughter, the
princess Berenger, for her son Richard, who married
her in Sicily, before he departed for the Holy Land.

During his absence he gave the queen, his mother,
for whom he had great respect, absolute power in Eng-
land. Eleonor was not, however, regent during her
son's unfortunate crusade, nevertheless she contrived to
restrain the ambitious disputants for Richard's throne,
and more particularly John, surnamed Lackland. She
was also most serviceable to him when he was arrested
by Leopold, duke of Austria, and carried prisoner to the
emperor, in 1102 ; for, notwithstanding Richard's nume-
rous enemies, she negotiated for his liberty with indel'ati-

QUEEN ELEONOR OF GUYENNE. 135

gable zeal, wrote to Pope Celestin IIL, imploring liis
intervention, and although upwards of seventy years of
age, took a journey to Germany to facilitate her views.

Many and great were the obstacles opposed to his
release, but Eleonor neglected no attempt ; and in spite
of the counteracting efforts of France, her son was de-
livered from captivity by means of a ransom of 120,000
silver marks, which not only exhausted the English
finances, but even called for the sacrifice of the sacra-
mental vessels, which were melted to supply the demand.

This was Eleanor's last act, with the exception of some
intrigues relative to the succession of the kings of Eng-
land ; after which she consecrated the last languid days
of her sad old age to devotion, by retiring to the abbey
of Fontevrault, which she had richly endowed, and where
she took the veil a short period before her death, which
occurred in 1204, at the age of eighty-one : she was
buried in the choir of the church of Fontevrault.

This queen had eleven children, — two daughters by
Louis VII. (Mary and Alix), who married the two bro-
thers, counts of Champagne and Blois, and nine by
Henry II., — six sons, of whom three were kings of Eng-
land ; and two daughters, who were married to kings ;
besides Matilda, wife of the duke of Bavaria, and mother
of the emperor Otho IV.

During her rule at the court of France, Eleonor, who,

136 QUEEN CONSTANCE.

like many of her contemporaries, considered the affairs
of love and courtship the principal business of her life,
instituted and presided over a court composed entirely
of women, where each day they laid their complaints
against those cavaliers who had been false or discour-
teous, and discussed all questions relative to sentimental
metaphysics with the utmost gravity : the decrees of this
tribunal, which were sometimes most unreasonable, were
invariably published Avith solemnity and executed with
the greatest rigour.

The early part of this queen's reign is celebrated for
the loves of Heloise and Abelard.

QUEEN CONSTANCE OF CASTILE.

The misfortunes that attended Louis VII. 's first mar-
riage did not prevent his contracting a second. After
his divorce he despatched the archbishop of Sens, with
proposals to Elizabeth Beatrice Constance Marie, daugh-
ter of Alphonso VIIL, king of Castile.

The Castilian king had other views for his daughter,
but the facility with which the French kings crossed the
Pyrenees presented too much danger for him to hazard
a refusal. Constance was accordingly bestowed on Louis,
and the marriage celebrated at Orleans in 1154, in oppo-

QUEEN CONSTANCE. 137

sition to tlie protestations of the archbishop of Rheims,
who claimed the prerogative of his episcopal see.

After the celebration of the marriage a report -nas
circulated that Constance ■was not the legitimate daugh-
ter of Alphonso, which gave Louis great uneasiness, and
occasioned him a journey to Spain. From the time
of king Robert a very marked distinction had been esta-
blished between children born within the sanctity of
marriage, and those who were the offspring of mistresses,
who, before that epoch, had almost indiscriminately
enjoyed the title of wife or queen ; and as the object of
Louis's marriage was to insure a male heir to the throne,
it was necessary to clear up the diflBculty relative to the
birth of Constance : the king therefore visited the court
of Castile, under the pretext of a pilgrimage to Saint
Jacques, in Gallicia, Alphonso received Louis at Burgos
with great magnificence, and calmed his anxiety by esta-
blishing the legitimacy of his daughter.

Constance, with whom the king enjoyed the sweets
of domestic peace, lived but four years after her marriage,
having died in childbed in 1159, without fulfilling her
destination as queen of France, having left but one
ilaughter, Margaret, Avho was, first, queen of England,
and afterwards of Hungary.
12 *

138 QUEEN AND REGENT ALIX.

QUEEN AND REGENT ALIX, DE CHAMPAGNE.

Louis was too anxious for a male licir to suffer himself
to remain unmarried ; he therefore fixed upon Alix de
Champa,gne, daughter of the Count Thihaut IV., for his
third wife — a choice which the interests of policy dictated,
Champagne being one of the most powerful provinces in
France : moreover, Louis VII.'s two daughters, by
Eleonor (Mary and Alice), were married to Alix de
Champagne's two brothers ; therefore from this union
very beneficial results were anticipated for the kingdom.

With the reign of Louis VII. commenced the era in
which France, emerging from the gloom of ignorance
and barbarism, gave birth to more gentle and polished
manners ; which renders that period remarkable in the
annals of civilization.

Although Alix was not in the spring-time of her life,
nevertheless her superior talents, her amiable disposition,
her elegant manners, and her taste for the cultivation
of the fine arts and the poetry which Eleonor de Guy-
enne had introduced into France, rendered her the orna-
ment of a court renowned for its politeness. She was
crowned at Paris by the archbishop of Sens in 1160.
Four years elapsed before Alix had any children, till at
\ength, the hopes of the king and nation being almost

QUEEN AND REGENT ALIX. 139

exhausted, Louis had recourse to religious foundations
and public prayers ; at length, in 1165 she gave birth
to Philip Augustus, surnamed Dieudonn^, or " God's
gift."

The queen paid devoted attention to the education of
her son, who, through her excellent precepts, became one
of the greatest amongst the kings of France ; for Louis
was entirely occupied with his declining health, being at
forty-five years of age as decrepit as a man of eighty,
and without the power of using several of his members,
which circumstance induced him to depart for England,
in 1179, for the purpose of visiting the tomb of Saint
Thomas-a-Becket, of Canterbury, for the re-establish-
ment of his health. Here he was attacked with a para-
lytic seizure, caused by the humidity of the climate,
which increased his inability to govern, and a great part
of the direction of public affairs fell upon Alix, whose
first act, on his return, was to propose the coronation of
lier son. The king, who felt his end approaching, will-
ingly agreed to her proposition, and Philip Augustus was
solemnly crowned king of France, with great pomp and
splendour, by the archbishop of Rheims.

Louis was desirous of marrying his son to Isabella of
Ilainault, niece to the count of Flanders ; but Alix was
greatly opposed to the union, as she foresaw the count
of Flanders would not fail to participate in the admi-

140 QUEEN AND REGENT ALIX.

nistration of affiiirs, which she vras anxious to reserve for
herself after the death of her husband. All her efforts
could not turn aside the king's determination, and the
marriage was celebrated ; five months after which Louis
died, in the year 1180.

Alix erected a magnificent mausoleum to the memory
of Louis VII. ; it was covered with plates of gold and
silver, and deposited at the abbey of Barbeau, near Melun.
Before his death, Louis pronounced Alix regent of
France ; but she was unfortunate in her projects of do-
mination, for with it she drew upon herself the hatred
of the count of Flanders, and the discontent of her son.
At length Henry II., king of England, contrived a re-
conciliation between them, and it was agreed that Phi-
lip Augustus should pay the queen-mother an annuity
of seven Paris livres a day, about sixty thousand francs
a year, which was at that epoch a very considerable
sum.

When Philip was about to join the crusade which took
place at the end of the twelfth century, he evinced the
high opinion he entertained of his mother's talents by
appointing her guardian of his young son Louis, and
governor of France, with the consent of the barons ;
of which charge she acquitted herself to the general
satisfaction. In a diff'erence which took place between
two of the bishops, and which was referred to the judg-

QUEEN AND REGENT ALIX. 141

ment of Pope Alexander III,, she sustained the privi-
leges of the crown of France with the greatest energy.
"Profiter," she wrote to the Roman pontiflf, " de I'ab-
sence d'un prince qui n'a quitte ses dtats que par pi^t^,
pour y Jeter le trouble ou I'autoriser, c'est offenser Dieu.
Chargde du soin de ce royaume, je dois pourvoir a sa
tranquillity et pr^venir les innovations qui pourraient y
introduire du desordre."

On his retui-n to France in 1192, Philip Augustus
warmly expressed his satisfaction at the manner in which
she had conducted the government, although her regency
had lasted but two years.

Alix built several religious establishments ; those par-
ticularly worthy of notice arc the abbey du Tard, and
the church of Saint Port. She died at Paris, much re-
gretted, in the year 1206, and was interred at the abbey
of Pontigny, in Burgundy. Besides Philip Augustus,
Alix de Champagne had two daughters : the eldest,
Alice, was betrothed to Richard Coeur-de-Lion, king of
England, but married to the count of Ponthieu ; the
second was successively married to two Greek princes,
Alexis and Andronic Comnene.

142 QUEEN ISABELLA OF IIAINAULT.

QUEEN ISABELLA OF HAINAULT.

(Reign of Philip Augustus.)

This queen, "who was daughter of Baldwin IV., count
of Ilainault, and a descendant of Charlemagne, was mar-
ried to Philip Augustus, to satisfy the political views of
her uncle and guardian, the count of Flanders, who hoped
by that alliance to obtain great authority and influence,
and to be associated with Alix de Champagne in the
regency of France.

France, already much enlarged by her monarch's
alliances, received Artois in addition, by Philip's mar-
riage with Isabella, or, as some historians call her, Eliza-
beth of Hainault. Her marriage was celebrated at
Bapeaume, in the year 1180, and one month after, the
ceremony of the coronation of the king and queen took
place at Saint Denis, when the archbishop of Sens placed
the diadem upon the brows of the young pair, who were
then each of them only twelve years of age. This mar-
riage created a quarrel between Philip and his tutor,
the archbishop of Rheims, because the members of the
house of Champagne feared it would lessen the influence
they had obtained under Louis VII.

The young queen thought that gratitude obliged her
to interest herself in favour of her uncle, the count of
Flanders, in consequence of which the queen-mother,

QUEEN ISABELLA OF HAINAULT. 143

Alix de Champagne, and her partisans, excited the king
against his wife. Thej persuaded him that her friend-
ship for her uncle ■was very suspicious, and likely to ho
injurious to the kingdom, and calumniated the innocent
actions of this young queen, who at the age of fourteen
was deprived of both counsel and support. The king
at first treated her with indifference and at length
declared openly liis sentiments of aversion for her, and
compelled her to retire to a monastery at Senlis in the
year 1183.

Isabella contrived to excite the sympathy of the
bishop of Senlis, who alone ventured to become her
champion. Abandoned and despised by Philip, she was
on the eve of being divorced ; but her prudence and
resignation assisted her in sustaining adversity with a
modest courage, and her constancy enabled her to tri-
umph over her enemies. Her father, the count of
Hainault, went to Pontoise to visit her, and persuaded
her to write to her husband and explain her conduct.
Philip was satisfied, and recalled Isabella, after three
years' exile, in 118G. He was perhaps partly actuated
by selfish motives, as he would have been obliged to give
up Artois if he had obtained a divorce ; but by degrees
Isabella's conduct gave rise to other sentiments, and
Philip began for the first time to feel an attachment for
his wife. She was then eighteen years of age, and twelve

144 QUEEN INGBORGE.

months after this reconciliation gave birth to Louis VIII.
at Paris, in 1187. Such was the enthusiasm of the peo-
ple of the town for Isabella, that for seven days they
celebrated the event with every possible demonstration
of rejoicing ; the French people looked upon her as the
offspring of Charlemagne, and she had not only gained
the love of the people, but her amiable conduct had
obtained the esteem of her mother-in-law, who deeply
repented of her injustice, and repaired the injury she
had done her by numerous tokens of sincere friendship.
Isabella's happiness lasted but a short time, for in
1189, at the period when Philip Augustus was about to
undertake the third crusade, he had the misfortune of
losing his young Avife ; she died in giving birth to twins,
Vvho did not survive her. Isabella left but one son,
Louis, afterwards king of France. This princess, who
lived only twenty-two years, was interred with great
pomp in the choir of the church of Notre-Dame-de-Paris.

QUEENS INGBORGE OF DENMARK, and AGNES
OF MERANIE.

Ingborge, called in France Ingoberge or Engelberge,
was daughter of Woldemar, king of Denmark, born in
1176, and affianced first to the son of the emperor Fre-

QUEEN INGBOEGE. 145

dcrick I. ; Lut the marriage not having taken place, the
young princess was married to Philip Augustus in the
year 119-3, for the purpose of contracting a formidable
alliance against England. The bishop of Nogon, and
the counts of Nevers and Montmorenci, "were sent to
demand the hand of Ingborge, which was willingly ac-
corded ; but the two French nobles were retained as
hostages in Denmark, until the marriage of the princess
should have actually taken place.

Philip went to Amiens to meet the princess, dressed
in full armour and mounted on his war-horse, and she
entered the town followed by her female attendants, all
on horseback. She was married the same day, and
crowned on the one following ; and having received four
thousand silver marks from her father, the fetes were
very magnificent. But on the day which succeeded her
coronation, the king made some frivolous excuse to dis-
solve the union, although the queen was very beautiful,
and particularly remarkable for her fine head of hair,
and the exquisite form of her hands and arms.

She was immediately repudiated, and at the age of
seventeen years sent an exile into Flanders. For some
time Ingborge resided at the abbey of Cisoin, near Lille,
in a state of captivity so nearly allied to indigence, that
it reflects shame on the memory of Philip Augustus.
Left to obtain her livelihood by manual labour, this

VOL. I. — 13

146 QUEEN AGNES.

beautiful and noble captive, far from murmuring at her
fate, implored Heaven's forgiveness for the husband who
persecuted her. In the bosom of poverty she preserved
an elevated spirit, and, queen amidst all her misfortunes,
she indignantly refused to renounce her title to the rights
and honours of the crown of France.

Nevertheless the divorce was pronounced by an assem-
blage of barons and bishops at Compiegne, under the
ridiculous pretext of relationship, in the year 1194 ; and
Ingborge wept bitterly Vvdien the interpreters signified
to her that her marriage was dissolved : her only reply
was ^^ 3Iauvaise France !" The venerable Stephen of
Tournai carried the appeal of this iniquitous sentence to
Rome, and Ingborge's brother, Canute VI., king of Den-
mark, imprisoned the hostages.

Philip Augustus, who considered that the union was
entirely dissolved, espoused at Compiegne, in 1196,
Mary Agnes de Meranie, the daughter of a French duke
and a descendant of Charlemagne ; this princess was
exceedingly beautiful and talented, graceful and virtuous.
The king was very much enamoured with Agnes, who
accompanied him in his hunting excursions, and was the
ornament of the palace, and the theme of minstrelsy
among the troubadours and poets ; the barons entitled
her " La Fleur des Dames."

In the mean time In^borsre maintained her di sonified

QUEEN AGNES. 147

character ; she was neither subdued by her unjust banish-
ment nor by her poverty, which was far more dishonour-
able to Philip than to herself, and she obstinately
refused to resign the double title of wife and queen.
Many persons were touched with sympathy for her mis-
fortunes, and admiration for her resignation, and even
the most insensible interested themselves in favour of
this injured queen. Several of the bishops who pro-
nounced her divorce became her partisans, and the King
of Denmark, takino; advantafre of the general feeling in
her favour, sent ambassadors to Rome to represent to
Pojie Celestin III. the outrage that had been been offered
to his sister, upon which the pontiff repealed the sen-
tence of divorce pronounced at Compiegne, and declared
the marriage of Philip with Agnes de Meranie to be
null.

Innocent III., his successor, followed up the affair
which his predecessor had taken in hand, and wrote to
the king desiring him to reinstate his wife ; this command
not being complied with, he threatened France with an
interdiction. Philip, instead of submitting, revenged
himself on the clergy and nobility, whose goods he con-
fiscated, and above all upon poor Ingboi'gc, whose un-
happiness he augmented by sending her to the Chateau
d'Etamps, where she suffered all the misery of a most

14S QUEEN AGNES.

rigorous captivity; nevertheless the unfortunate queen
maintained her firmness.

In consequence of Philip's conduct, the kingdom wns
placed under an interdict in the year 1199, "which lasted
eight months, and, as usual, the disastrous consequences
it entailed, caused the whole of France to murmur, for
all ranks and conditions were alike discontented.

Philip, who saw his throne shaken by the bulls of
Innocent III., and that the disorders were increasing
daily, feared that the result might be serious, and pro-
fessed humiliation and resignation to the will of the
pontiff; accordingly his legate, the cardinal of St. Sabine,
bishop of Ostie, withdrew the interdict, but upon condi-
tion that King Philip would have the cause of the divorce
solemnly judged and pleaded in six months, six weeks,
six days, and six hours.

Ingborge had the privilege of choosing the place of
assemblage, and fixed on Soissons, where she appeared
in the court, as also did the king. The case was pro-
claimed with solemnity and regularity, when a young
stranger advanced and asked permission of the queen to
undertake her defence. Philip himself could not refrain
from admiring the lofty courage and simplicity of this
unknown orator, who pleaded the cause with so much
warmth and energy that the judges were persuaded, and
the audience loudly applauded, but not before the mys-

QUEEN AGNES. 149

terious defender hud disappeared. Philip, foreseeing
the issue of the proceedings, and not choosing that royal
majesty should be submitted to human judgment, has-
tened to the convent to which Ingborge had retired,
embraced her, placed her on his horse behind him, and
conducted her to Paris, Avhere he publicly acknowledged
her as •wife and queen, in the year 1201.

Agnes de Meranie, to -whom no slight merit was due
for having fixed the heart of the inconstant Philip five
years, was no sooner informed of her undeserved and
unexpected disgrace than she retired to the Chateau de
Poissy, where, in a few weeks, she sunk under the weight
of her grief in giving birth to a son, who received the
name of Tristan.

Innocent III., desiring to repair a part of the' evil
that had fallen upon her by the sentence of divorce, and
considering that her marriage had been celebrated
according to rule and in good faith, pronounced the two
children she had by Philip, legitimate. They were
Mary, who afterwards married Henry IV., duke of Bra-
bant, and Tristan, count of Clermont.

The political considerations which had obliged Philip
to restore Ingborge, could have no influence over his
sentiments towards her ; he for some time assumed an
appearance of regard, but, in reality, his aversion was
such that he again confined her in the Chateau d'Etamps,
13*

150 QUEEN xVND REGENT BLANCHE.

in 1210. Ho even declared his determination to maiTj
the daughter of the Count of Thuringia, provided he
couki obtain the Pope's consent to divorce Ingborge ; but
his negotiation to that purpose met with a refusal, and
Philip again reinstated Ingborge.

This ill-used queen survived the capricious monarch,
who had rendered three amiable women most unhappy.
After his death she retired to Corbeil, where she died in
1236, aged sixty-two years.

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE, OF
CASTILE.

(Reign of Louis YIII. )

This queen, so justly celebrated for her talents in the
administration of government, as well as her lofty cha-
racter and the excellent education her son received under
her direction, was granddaughter of Eleonor of Guyenne.
She was born at Burgos in Spain in 1185, and was the
daughter of Alphonso IX., King of Castile, and of
Eleonor, daughter of Henry II., of England. The offer
of the marriage was made by her grandmother, Eleonor
of Guyenne, Queen of England, who, after the ceremony
of betrothing, which took place at Burgos with great
pomp, accompanied her to France. Alphonso himself

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 151

conducted his daughter as far as the frontiers of France,
where she was met by Matthew de Montmorenci, Con-
stable of France, and other persons of consequence who
were charged to receive her.

Blanche was surnamed Candide on account of her
innocence, beauty, and youth, being only fifteen years
of age when she arrived at the court of France to espouse
the hereditary prince, Louis VIII., in the year 1200 ;
but the kingdom being at that time under an interdict
on account of Philip Augustus's divorce from Ingborge,
her uncle John, king of England, conducted her to Nor-
mandy, which was at that time an English possession,
and the marriage was solemnized by the archbishop of
Bourges.

This union was the result of one of the articles in the
treaty of Vernon, which had been concluded between the
French and English, and as the messenger of peace
Blanche was welcomed with enthusiasm. Her education
had been carefully attended to, and her studies well
directed ; independently of the attractions of her personal
appearance she possessed the qualities of a wise politician,
so that her father-in-law, Philip Augustus, often con-
sulted her.

It was a somewhat remarkable circumstance that caused
Blanche, who was the youngest daughter of the house
of Castile, to be preferred before lier elder sister Uracca,

152 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

■who was still more beautiful ; but after several confer-
ences it was decided that the name of Uracca being less
euphonious than that of Blanche, the latter would be
more agreeable to the French people, and the ambassa-
dors placed their choice on Blanche accordingly.

The alliance could hardly fail to be a happy one,
Louis VIII. being of a mild and amiable disposition ;
moreover it was an inestimable benefit to the nation,
because John, king of England, who tenderly loved
Blanche, declared her the inheritor of all his French
possessions, provided he died without legitimate children.

Philip Augustus's death, which occurred in 1223,
placed Louis VIIL on the throne, and Blanche was
crowned and consecrated Avith her husband at Rheims,
in the midst of a most brilliant assemblage of princes
and barons, and the event was celebrated by a succes-
sion of magnificent entertainments. On the return of
the king and queen from this ceremony they were received
at Paris with the greatest enthusiasm, according to a
French historian : — " Toute la ville sortit au-dcvant des
monarques ; les poetes chantaient des odes ^ sa louange,
les musiciens faisaient retentir I'air du son de la vielle,
des fifres, du tambour, du psalti^rion, et de la harpe.
Aristote se tut, Platon fit silence, et les philosophes
d^poserent pour un moment I'csprit de dispute."

Puring the reign of Pliilip Augustus, Blanche never

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 153

quitted her husband during his trouble and isolation, or
took any part in the government, being at that time
remarkable only for her intellectual accomplishments and
serious character.

The epoch in -which she reigned in France, although
one of religious enthusiasm and exaggeration, was a
period in -which chivalry flourished in all its brilliancy ;
the youths of distinction -were early instructed in bodily
exercises, riding, hunting, and the use of arms, as -well
as the etiquette of the toilette and table, and the art of
rendering; themselves a;rreeable to the ladies ; and mothers
accustomed their daughters to receive these respectful
and delicate attentions -with an aifability -which -was not
derogatory to modesty. The glory of the -women con
sisted in excelling in the art of needle--work, in embroi-
dering rich carpets, and making the dresses of their hus-
bands and male relatives. The manufacture of confec-
tionary and delicacies for the table -was their amusement,
as also the preparation of unguents and the extraction of
balsams necessary to cure the wounds of the cavaliers.
Nevertheless the intellectual part of the education of
both sexes was neglected, and it was not at all uncom-
mon to find cavaliers of rank and ladies of quality who
were unable to read.

Having determined to undertake the unfortunate and
absurd expedition against the Albigeois, Louis named

154 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

Blanche regent before his dejiarture. He Avas accom-
panied hj Thibault, count of Champagne, who wa3
greatly enamoured of the queen, and had been most
assiduous in his attentions to her ; but he, feeling unable
to support his absence from her, left the king's camp at
Avignon, and returned to Paris. It has been said that
Louis, in a jealous transport, having menaced the count
of Champagne Avith his resentment, Thibault caused his
sovereign to be poisoned. History does not, however,
credit the truth of this event, there being no proof;
nevertheless the king died shortly after the count's de-
parture, in 1226, after a reign of three years. The will
of Louis VIII. did not confer the regency upon the
queen, but, animated by an ardent desire to govern, she
immediately took steps to insure the sovereign authority
to herself, and accordingly assembled all the most j)Ower-
ful barons who were attached to her, amongst whom was
Saint-Ange, the pope's legate. The bishops who
attended on the kino- durina; his last moments at the
Chateau Montpensier, attested upon oath that in dying
he had invested her with that dignity, and pronounced
her the guardian of his children. The count of Cham-
pagne, who was not included in the council assembled
to decide the rcgenc}^, displayed great discontent, either
real or affected. This prince is represented as tall and
handsome, very skilful in all chivalrous exercises, gene-

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 155

rous and pompous, inconstant and rash. He had great
taste for poetry, which he cultivated with success ; seve-
ral of his attempts are still in existence ; he, moreover,
possessed a sweet voice, and wrote many agreeable
sonnets.

It is true all Thibault's poems celebrated the beauty
and worth of Queen Blanche without naming her, and
this discretion is a great proof that she was the object
of his love ; for if the count of Champagne had not ad-
dressed his poetical inspirations to the queen of France,
he need not have concealed the name of his inamorata
in his verses : however, there is no proof of a mutual
affection, and if any existed, it was so carefully veiled
that, in defiance of the observing eyes of the court, the
nature and circumstances of their attachment still remain
a mystery.

Thibault united with several of the barons who ob-
jected to Blanche being invested with the government,
and desired to transfer the regency on the young king's
paternal uncle, Philip count of Boulogne ; they accord-
ingly refused to assist at the consecration of her son.
The irritated regent assembled her troops and marched
to the vacant episcopal see of Rheims, where her son,
Louis IX., was crowned by the bishop of Soissons.

The league formed against the queen was very formi-
dable; it was headed by Engerrand de Couci, and con-

156 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

sisted, amongst others, of the counts of Dreiix, Toulouse,
and Ponthieu ; Hugh de Lusignan, count of Marche ;
and Hugh de Chatillon, count of Saint Pol. Blanche
did not long suffer the storm to gather ; she placed her-
self with her son, then only thirteen years of age, at the
head of a numerous army, and entered Brittany, which was
the place of conspiracy. The rebellious lords, who were
not prepared to repulse the regent's forces, deputed the
count of Champagne to seek a reconciliation. No emis-
sary could have been more agreeable to the queen, who
after some reproaches granted his demand.

The discontented barons were, however, only tranquil-
lized for a short period ; they again united to dispossess
Blanche of the regency, and concerted their measures
on this occasion with greater precaution. The queen
used every endeavour to detach two of the confederates
from the league formed against her ; these were the
counts of Boulogne and Champagne. A little address
enabled her to achieve her wishes : she persuaded Philip
that he would gain nothing by the revolt, as they had
determined to place Couci at their head, and that he
was fighting against his nephew, without the hope of
benefiting himself. As for Thibault, he was but a fee-
ble enemy for Blanche ! One gracious epistle brought
him to her feet ; not only did he abandon his friends,

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 157

but revealed all their secrets to the lady of his heart,
and drew over others by presents and promises.

The disappointed conspirators turned their fury
against the count of Champagne, and did not even spare
the reputation of the queen. They attempted to seize
the king and regent on their route to Orleans, but Thi-
bault secretly warned Blanche in time for them to retire
to the fortress of Mont I'lleri; from thence she sent
information to the capital of the situation of the king,
and the people immediately flew to their succour and
conducted them in triumph to Paris.

At length the league, calculating on the inconstant
and volatile disposition of Thibault, endeavoured to se-
duce him from the queen by offering him Yolande, the
daughter of the duke of Brctagne, who was at their
head, in marriage. This princess was very beautiful and
rich, and the count of Champagne accepted the offer.
Blanche was only informed of this danger by the prepa-
rations for the marriage fete, when she hastily despatched
the lord of La Chappelle to him with the following
billet, which has been preserved amongst the ancient
charters : —

" Sire Thibault de Champagne, j'ai entendu que vous
avez convenance et promis prendre a femme, la fille du
Comte Pierre de Bretaigne ; pourtant vous mande qui
si chicr vous avez tout taut qu'aimez au royaurae de

VOL. I. — 14

158 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

France, que ne le faciez pas. La raison pourquoi vous
savez bien."

Thus Blanche, in order to prevent an alliance which
interfered with her projects and wounded her feelings,
persuaded the unsteady Thibault that if he loved France
he should not form an alliance that was agreeable to
him ! Blanche did not overrate the powerful influence
of her attractions ; her self-love triumphed, and the mar-
riage was set aside. After this affront, the league became
still more inveterate against the count, and the people
murmured at being governed by a Spanish woman and
an Italian priest ; for the cardinal St. Ange was invested
with unlimited power, and honoured with the queen's
especial favour. Blanche again quieted the storm with
her usual ability ; she promised honours to one, accorded
a smile to another, and contrived to reconcile all her
enemies within and without.

In 1227 she confirmed an alliance with the emperor
Frederick II., made a truce with England, and, by a
treaty with the duke of Brittany, engaged his daughter
Yolande, whose rivalry she had formerly dreaded, for
her son John's affianced wife.

After these skilful negotiations, Blanche turned her
thoughts towards vanquishing her cousin-german, Ray-
mond VII., count of Toulouse, who was still in rebellion,
which she accomplished, and took him prisoner ; she

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 159

treated him mih severe rigour, having obliged him to
ask the king's pardon, after cruellj despoiling him of
his wealth, which was not restored to his daughter but
upon condition that she should marrj one of her sons.

This unjust proceeding again excited the discontent
of the barons, who, in 1228, took up arms against the
count of Champagne, then king of Navarre, whom they
accused of having poisoned the king Louis VIII., that
he might live more freely with Blanche of Castile.
Beset on all sides, Thibault had recourse to the queen,
who summoned the nobles to hear their complaints ; they
boldly replied that they had taken up arms to render
justice to themselves, not expecting to receive it at the
hands of a woman who declared herself the protectress
of her husband's murderer. The nature of this accusa-
tion rendered Thibault's cause that of the queen, who
accompanied her troops to his succour, and met the
enemy at the fortress of Bellesme, and this circumstance
added to her other titles that of the "great captain."

The place was considered impregnable from the thick-
ness of the walls, and another great obstacle was the
severity of the weather, which caused the loss of several
men and horses from extreme cold. Blanche did not
yield to difficulties ; she bestowed great attention on the
soldiers, and did all in her power to preserve them from
the rigour of the season ; she caused large fires to be

160 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

kept up, and gave high recompense to all who brought
wood to the camp ; she slept by the fire of the bivouac,
conversed with the troops, and encouraged her officers
by her gracious manners.

Two assaults were successively made, and at length
the great tower was dismantled, and the Bretons, Avho
were sustained by a corps of English auxiliaries in de-
fending the fortress, were obliged to surrender to the
king and queen-mother, to whom is justly attributed the
honour of this siege. She took the duke of Brittany,
Avho headed the revolt, prisoner, but afterwards pardoned
him ; and then, after having taken Nantes and Acenis,
she obliged the count of Marche to surrender in 1230.

But after having performed so much by the force of
arms and by treaty, Blanche's glory was much tarnished
by her ingratitude to the count of Champagne, whose
services she appeared to have forgotten when he could
be no longer useful to her ; indeed she was desirous of
preventing the possibility of injury from the man whom
she should have least suspected.

Alix de Champagne, queen of Cyprus, daughter of
Henry II., count of Champagne, king of Jerusalem, and
elder brother of Thibault III., the father of Thibault,
count of Champagne, laid claim to the province of Cham-
pagne, although ejected by the Salique law ; the un-
grateful Blanche sustained the pretensions of Alix,

QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE. 161

^vltllout examining ATliethcr tliey were justly founded.
Thibault's right to the province was established ; but he
was obliged to pay his niece an indemnity of two millions
of livrcs. The count's resources were insufficient to
raise this sum, and by the manner in which the queen
oiTered to assist him in his embarrassment, there is cer-
tainly little proof of a correspondence of tender senti-
ments, she having thought more of the interests of her
son than of those of the amorous Thibault. He pos-
sessed the provinces of Blois, Sancerre, Chartres, and
Chateaudun, which she offered to purchase for the amomit
he owed to Alix. Thibault hesitated, but the queen
urged it, till at length, says Mezeray, this poor prince
once more surrendered to love, and replied with a sigh,
" Madam, my soul, my body, and all my possessions, arc
yours !" This was exactly what the dark policy of the
regent desired ; she effectually succeeded in diminishing
the count's power, which is an indelible stain on her
memory.

Having appeased the disturbances caused by the jea-
lousy of the nobles, and terminated tlic war against the
Albigeois, the regent had an opportunity of displaying
her high capacity for governing. She profited by the
repose which France then enjoyed, to finish the educa-
tion of lier son, King Louis, whom she surrounded with
liie most learned men in the kingdom. Posterity has
14*

162 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

ranked the education of Louis IX. amongst Blanche's
highest titles to glory.

At length Louis's majority terminated the regency in
1235, and Blanche put the finishing stroke to her work
by marrying him to Margaret of Provence, and augment-
ing his territories by the addition of that rich province.
She also married his two brothers, Robert and Alphonso,
the former to Matilda, daughter to the duke of Brabant,
with the title of Count d'Artois, and the other to Jane
of Toulouse, with the title of Count de Toulouse : but
this young court, under the severe eye of Blanche, did
not yield to any superfluous expenses, or the ruinous and
luxurious habits common at courts : all being remarka-
bly pious, especially the king.

Although Louis held the reins of government, Blanche
could not entirely relinquish the charms of domination,
and the king, grateful for her sage advice, suffered her
to participate in the royal authority ; nevertheless the
queen was so jealous of her influence over him, that she
was often uneasy at his affection for his young wife, and
used every endeavour to prevent their enjoying much of
each other's society.

The king and queen-mother, however, governed the
state with much Avisdom, and the country for some time
enjoyed peace and happiness, when Louis fell danger-
ously ill at Pontoise, upon which he made a vow that if

QUEEN AND EEGENT BLANCHE. 1G3

he recovered lie "would form a crusade ; lie was cured,
and, unfortunately for France, accomplished his fatal
promise. Although a new regency for Blanche was the
result of this useless enterprise, she nevertheless exhaust-
ed all her powers of persuasion to prevent her son from
undertaking the expedition, but without success ; the
king departed in 1248, leaving the government in the
hands of his mother. She accompanied the king, queen,
and princes as far as Marseilles, and added the prayers
of a mother to the pontifical benediction of Pope Inno-
cent IV.

Blanche next occupied herself in repressing disorders ;
one of which was the scandalous oppression of the French
people under the yoke of the ecclesiastics, who were the
lords of the earth. The following occurrence, which is
attributed to this queen, does her much honour.

In 1252 the Chapter of Notre Dame de Paris, who
possessed the power of life and death over the peasantry
subjected to their jurisdiction, had thrown several serfs
of Chateney, who were incapable of paying a most bur-
densome contribution, into the prisons of the officiality.
These unhappy people were so closely confined that they
could with difficulty move in their narrow prisons, and
Avere even deprived of air. Blanche, touched with com-
passion for them, sent to request their liberation out of
consideration for herself. The canons haughtily replied.

16 1 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

that no person had a rigiit to interfere with their affairs,
and that thej would kill their vassals if they thought
fit ; and to brave the queen and punish these unfortunate
persons for the protection she had shown them, arrested
the wives and children of their prisoners, and stowed
them all in cells together ; by which several died from
want of air, and infection.

The queen's indignation was roused at this insolence
and barbarity ; and proceeding with her guards to the
prison, desired them to break open the doors of the cells,
and lest the fear of ecclesiastical influence should cause
them to disobey, she gave the example by striking the
first blow herself; the doors were soon thrown open,
and exposed to view corpses heaped together, and disfi-
gured beings who had hardly strength left to enjoy the
pure air, or to throw themselves at the feet of their bene-
factress. From that fortunate period, the feudal yoke of
the clergy was less heavy, and peasants were permitted
to purchase their liberty.

During the second regency of this illustrious queen,
who_was governing the French nation in peace and wis-
dom, she had the grief of learning the defeat, at Man-
sorah, and the captivity of the king and his brothers the
princes, on the coast of Africa, which occurred in the
year 1249. Plunged in the deepest afiliction, she ex-
hausted tlie treasury to procure Louis liberty, and sent

QUEEN AND EEGENT BLANCHE. 1G5

him eleven wagons loaded vritli silver to assist in effect-
ing it. In the trouble which this disaster caused her,
she had the weakness to permit the union of the Pas-
toureaux, which were hands under the direction of an
apostate monk, who assembled and armed all the vaga-
bonds in France ; and, under the pretext of going to
assist in the deliverance of the king, committed the
greatest excesses, pillaging and setting fire to villages,
till the queen was obliged to send a force to put down
these dangerous marauders.

During this grievous position of affairs, Pope Innocent
IV. having published the necessity of a new crusade
against the emperor Conrad, the queen forbad all persons
to enroll in this war, for France required all its resources ;
her two sons, the counts of Anjou and Poitou, having
arrived with a letter from the king, requiring more money
and succour ; and although Blanche lamented the cause
which obliged her to issue the order, she nevertheless
published it, announcing that all who did not set out
immediately for the Holy Land would have their houses
and lands confiscated.

So anxious was Blanche to release her son from the
power of the Saracens, that she was even disposed to
resign Normandy to Henry III., king of England, to
whom she had applied for assistance, and who asked that
province as the price of his aid ; but the barons sue-

166 QUEEN AND REGENT BLANCHE.

ceeded in dissuading her from rendering this sacrifice to
maternal aifection.

Blanche's troubles increased daily ; the king was pining
in captivity, and her second son, Robert, count of Artois,
had been slain in Egypt ; so that, sinking under the accu-
mulated weight of these evils, she Avas attacked Avith a
violent fever, which brought her to the tomb at Melun,
whither she had been removed for change of air by
order of her medical attendants. Some days before her
death she assumed the habit of the order of Citeaux.

She was interred with unusual magnificence ; her body
was clothed with all the insignia of royalty, and the
crown placed upon her head ; she was seated on a
throne of gold with her face uncovered, and thus trans-
ported to her last resting-place by the principal nobles
of the court.

Only four out of the eleven children she had borne
Louis VIII. survived her. She had two daughters, one
of whom, Isabella, was the founder and abbess of Long
Champ. Her sons were. Saint Louis, king of France ;
Robert, count of Artois ; Charles, count of Anjou and
king of Naples ; Alphonso, count of Auvergne ; Jean ;
Stephen ; Philip ; and two others, who died very young.

Blanche of Castile was deeply regretted ; for her
death was a most unfortunate event for France, at that
time deprived of her king, and in a most critical posi-

QUEEN MARGARET OF TROVENCE. 167

tion. So high was the opinion entertained of her by
her bj her successors, that several of the queen dowagers
of France assumed the surname of '■^ Blanche ^'^ as the
Roman emperors did that of " Augustus."

QUEEN MARGARET OF RROVENCE.

(Reign of Louis IX.)

Louis IX., commonly called Saint Louis on account
of his virtue and piety, was married to Margaret,
daughter of Raymond Berenger III., count of Provence,
and of Beatrice of Savoy, at Sens, in the year 1234.
The ambassadors who we're sent to conduct Margaret
received a promise of twenty thousand francs, as Avell as
the rich province of Provence, for her dower ; her
journey through all the towns of France was a series of
entertainments, festivity reigned throughout the kingdom,
and the marriage was celebrated with great splendour.

They were both young, Louis being nineteen and
Margaret only fifteen years of age. This princess had
no ambition beyond the attainment of her husband's
affection ; and she was fortunate in her desires, for
Louis was fondly attaclied to her ; his love was the
boundary of her wishes, and this model of wives
retained till her death the same honourable sentiments.

1G8 QUEEN MARGARET OF PROVENCE.

Margaret was amiable and sensible ; she received a most
careful education, and had been surrounded by the most
intelligent and brilliant characters at the court of her
father, ^Yhosc generosity in the patronage of poets and
artists was universally known ; but she never displayed
any proof of extraordinary talent, perhaps from a sen-
timent of modesty, which she no doubt considered one
of the first merits.

Louis IX. justly appreciated his wife's amiable dispo-
sition ; nevertheless Margaret, who was mild and passive,
could not conquer a sentiment of well founded dislike to
her mother-in-law, whose severe and imperious character
she feared, having been the object of her frequent per-
secutions. Blanche, confident of the authority she
possessed over the mind of her son, and with a view of
depriving the queen of all influence over him at the
Court, being jealous of the familiarity of the young
pair, endeavoured to restrain their intimacy ; and this
interference obliged them to employ various stratagems
to obtain an occasional meeting. It is asserted that
while residing for a short period at Pontoise, Blanche, as
usual, obliged them to occupy separate apartments, and
Louis took occasion, during his mother's short absences, to
visit his young wife, who sometimes also stole furtively into
his room ; and on the approach of the queen-mother the

QUEEN MAEGAEET OF rKOVENCE. 169

ushers struck the door with a cane, or gave some other
signal, upon which they immediately separated.

" Quand le roi chevauchait par son royaume, Blanche
Ic faisait separer de le Royne son epouse ; ils n'dtaient
jamais loges ensemblement."

One day Margaret, being very ill in bed, desired to
be gratified -with the conversation of her husband ; when
the queen-mother entered the room, and taking her son
by the hand, led him gently towards the door. Marga-
ret, losing patience, cried out, " Will you not, then,
suffer me to sec my lord and husband the king, either in
life or death?"

This inquisitorial tyranny augmented the conjugal
affection of the young sovereigns ; and it was with inex-
pressible delight that Margaret found she should bo
released from it by her approaching departure with the
king for the Holy Land, as the law, as well as her own
wishes, joined her fate with that of her husband, and she
prepared with gayety for the voyage.

To her natural simplicity and candour Margaret also
added firmness and devotion, which the reverses Saint
Louis encountered in Palestine developed most forcibly.

She was pregnant when the king was taken prisoner
at Saint John d'Acrc, in 1250, and was informed of this
new catastrophe before her accouchement at Damictta,
which place the king had confided to her government,

VOL. I. — lo

170 QUEEN MARGARET OF PROVENCE.

and where she was besieged by the Saracens. It v.ould
be difficult to paint the desolation of the queen on learn-
ing the captivity of her husband, and the dread of being
exposed to the brutality of the licentious Asiatic soldiery
threw her into despair.

The cavaliers and soldiers from Genoa and Pisa, who
formed part of the expedition, were enclosed in the town
with her, and being without food, the auxiliaries desired
to quit the place ; but Margaret summoned their captains,
and promised to buy a sufficient quantity of provisions
if they would remain in Damietta, which was the king's
last resource. The town was more and more surrounded
by enemies, and in the difficult position in which she
was placed the queen feared the consequences of an
assault ; she therefore retained but one soldier near her
person, who was a distinguished chevalier, upwards of
eighty years of age. In one of her moments of alarm she
threw herself at his knees and entreated him to grant the
request she was about to make : the old cavalier swore
to do so. "Sir chevalier," said the queen, "by the
faith you owe me, I conjure you to cut off my head if
Damietta is taken by the Saracens." "I intended to
do so," replied the veteran. No record in history can
afford a more heroic incident. Some hours after Mar-
garet gave birth to a son, whom she called Tristan, on

QUEEN ]MARGARET OF PROA'ENCE. 171

account of the unhappy ch'cumstances which occurred at
the period of his birth.

The king, Louis IX., whose magnanimity astonished
even his enemies, refused to be ransomed with money.

To increase the evils, the Genoese and Pisanese, seeing
the unfortunate turn of affairs and the captivity of the
king, prepared to abandon the town and the army.
The queen entreated them to defer the accomplishment
of this design, and finding her tears and prayers useless,
she offered them the enormous sum of 360,000 livres, a
part of which was the produce of the sale of her jewels
to the Jews, upon which they agreed to remain. Her
devotion was rewarded, for Damictta, which she had so
intrepidly preserved, was taken as ransom for Saint
Louis, who thus owed his liberty to his affectionate wife.

Although her health was not re-established, Margaret
immediately proceeded to Saint John d'Acre in 1252,
where she was reunited to the king, after a long and
cruel separation.

Shortly after, Louis received tidings of his mother's
death, and determined to return to France.

The sire de Joinville, having observed the queen in
tears in consequence of the event, frankly said, " Qu'il
dtait bien vrai qu'on ne dcvoit mie croire femme a pleurer,
quisque le devil qu'ellc mcnait (-tait pour la dame qu'elle
lia'issait le plus en ce monde." But the queen, equally

172 QUEEN MARGARET OF FROVENCE.

candid, replied, that it was not for the loss of her mother-
in-law that she lamented, but that she Avas grieved to see
the king plunged into such profound affliction, and that,
in fact, she wept because her husband wept.

In 1254 the king and queen embarked for France,
with the remains of the armj. The navigation was
difficult. While proceeding under full sail towards the
isle of Cyprus, the vessel struck violently on a small de-
sert island, and was very much shattered. The cavaliers
all recommended the king and queen to abandon the
ship ; but as it was the only one capable of conveying
them all, and as Louis was unwilling to embark in a
smaller vessel and leave a part of his followers behind,
he determined to proceed. In this critical position
Margaret had recourse to a vow, and obtained her hus-
band's permission to offer a silver lamp to Saint Nicholas.
After a long and dangerous voyage the royal family
arrived at Marseilles, and from thence proceeded to
Paris, where Louis occupied himself Avith studying the
happiness of his people.

Margaret devoted herself to religious duties : she built
convents and made pilgrimages, and the king, who often
joined her in her pious occupations, resolved to abdicate
the throne, and retire to a Franciscan monastery ; but
Margaret dissuaded him from this project, and France
ewes a debt of gratitude to the queen for having pre-

QUEEN MARGARET OF PROVENCE. 173

sewed this excellent king to his people, at a time when
good princes "were so few.

Notwithstanding her elevated and religious ideas,
Margaret always retained her simplicity of manners, and
it was this simplicity which once caused her to embrace
a woman of bad fame, as it was customary at mass, on
presenting the offering, to give the kiss of peace to those
near her. When she was informed of her mistake, she
complained to the king, who assigned a particular cos-
tume to that class of persons.

Whether Louis IX. had little confidence in Margaret's
talents, or that he did not wish to burden her with the
affairs of state, is uncertain, but he did not appoint her
regent on undertaking his last fatal crusade, in the year
1270, during which he died of the plague at Tunis the
same year.

He assigned Margaret, for her dower, Corbeil, Meu-
lan, Vernon, Pontoise, Etamps, Dourdans, la Ferte
Alps, and an annuity of 219 livres, seven sous, and six
deniers, payable by the Jews every three months. She
might have constituted a fine estate by claiming Provence
from her brother-in-law Charles of Anjou, king of Naples,
whom she suffered to ravage that beautiful country, for
she was so devoted to religion that earthly things had no
iDiigcr any charm for her.

Margaret died in 1295, aged sixty-six years, in the
15*

174 QUEEN MARGARET OF TROVENCE.

convent of the Cordeliers de Scaint Claire, -wliich she
founded in the faubourg Saint Marcel, and in favour of
which she made a will ; all her valuable effects she left
to different hospitals. Iler body was removed to the
royal sepulchre of Saint Denis.

Margaret was the mother of six sons and five daughters,
but only four of her children survived her. Her second
son, Philip le Hardi, succeeded Saint Louis, the eldest
having died at the age of sixteen : she had also John
Tristan, born during the siege of Damietta ; Peter,
count of Chartres ; and Robert, count of Clermont.
One of her daughters, Isabella, was queen of Navarre ;
another, Agnes, married Robert II., duke of Burgundy ;
Blanche was wedded to Ferdinand de la Cerda, son of
the king of Castile ; and Margaret was duchess of
Brabant.

The many excellent qualities of Margaret of Provence,
added to those of the virtuous Louis, insured to France,
during their long union, fifteen years of repose, which it
much needed.

QUEEN ISABELLA OF ARRAGON. 175

QUEEN ISABELLA OF ARRAGON.

(Reign of Philip IIL)

Isabella, daughter of James I., king of Arragon,
and of Yolande of Hungary, had not attained her
fifteenth year when she was married to Philip le Ilardi
at Clermont, in 1262. She brought as dower the coun-
ties of Beziers and Carcassonne to the crown.

Louis IX. having taken his sons with him to the last
crusade, Isabella accompanied her husband, and coura-
geously supported the fatigues of the expedition, although
of an exceedingly delicate constitution. Her father-in-
law, when dying, recommended Philip to return to
France and take possession of his government, which he
determined upon doing immediately. The fleet sailed
by the way of Sicily, and Avas overtaken by a storm on
the coast of Trapani, where eighteen large vessels and
several smaller ones, containing altogether about two
thousand persons, and a great portion of the equipage
of the army, were wrecked within sight of the port.
Fortunately the king of France, his brother and his
brother-in-law, the kings of Sicily and Navarre, their
queens, and several noblemen, had time to disembark.

Philip was detained in Sicily by weakness, from the
effects of the plague he had cauglit at Tunis, as well as

176 QUEEN ISABELLA OF ARHAGON.

by tlie illness of his brother-in-law Thibault, king of
Navarre, who died fifteen days after landing, and whose
wife followed him to the tomb a few days after; as also
did his uncle the count of Toulouse, and Jane his wife.
Queen Isabella did not long survive them : in fording a
small river near Cozenza, in Calabria, she fell from her
horse, which, she being pregnant, occasioned her a pre-
mature delivery, that caused her death in 1271.

Thus the ncAV king entered France with the sad remains
of his father. Saint Louis ; the queen Isabella, his wife ;
Tristan, his brother ; the king of Navarre, his brother-
in-law ; Alphonso, his uncle ; and Jane, countess of
Toulouse, his aunt. His reign commenced in the midst
of funeral gloom, for there were few persons who had not
lost some part of their families in this fatal expedition.

Isabella was the mother of four princes, of whom one,
Philip-le-Bel, succeeded to the throne ; two others, who
died young ; and Charles de Yalois, who was the royal
branch from which thirteen French monarchs sprung.

The king and court deeply regretted this amiable
princess, who was universally beloved. She was buried
at Saint Denis.

QUEEN MARY OF BRABANT. 177

QUEEN MARY OF BRABANT.

Philip III.'s second -wife was Marv, daughter of
Ilcnry III., duke of Brabant, and Alice of Burgundy.
The duke himself accompanied his daughter to France,
and the marriage was celebrated at the Chateau de Vin-
cennes in the year 1274. Twelve months after the
queen was crowned in the Sainte Chapelle of Paris, by
the archbishop of Rheims.

Mary is represented as being equally beautiful and
intelligent. The duke of Brabant was one of the best
poets which that epoch afforded, and the queen, inherit-
ing her father's taste, cultivated poetry with much assi-
duity. A lady of distinction at her court, called Blanche,
Avho was her intimate friend, partook of her inclination,
and both encouraged the poets of the day by their coun-
sel and patronage. Adenez le Roix, a contemporary
author, acknowledges, in the commencement of his ro-
mance entitled " Cl(iomades," that he is indebted to
Mary and her friend for all that is good in that work.

Philip was much attached to Mary, and her combined
advantages of personal beauty and intellectual talent
rendered her so attractive, that ho invariably gave her
admission in the councils of state. But history does

173 QUEEN MARY OF ERACANT.

not give Mary credit for having such excellent qualities
as her personal appearance betokened.

The king had a favourite named Peter la Brosse, "svlio
by the favour of his sovereign had, from valet-de-cham-
bre and barber to St. Louis, been elevated to the eminent
position of prime minister. This man, who had been
accustomed during Philip's three years of widowhood to
enjoy his entire confidence, was jealous of the power of
the young queen, who frequently obtained favours with-
out condescending to ask them through him. ^lary,
v/ho was conscious of the artful and intriguing character
of this fellow, whom she despised, used every effort to
dislodge him from his honourable post, and each took
occasion to undermine the other. La Brosse endeavoured
to persuade the king that Mary had expressed herself
indignant at the idea of Isabella's sons taking the pre-
cedence of those which she might have ; and at this
time the prince Louis, eldest son of Isabella of Arragon,
was attacked with a malignant fever, of which he died,
and some livid spots on his skin indicated that his death
had been occasioned by poison. The queen accused La
Brosse, and remarked that all who attended on the young
prince during his illness were persons chosen by him,
and she demanded that they should be interrogated, and
imprisoned until the frightful mystery attending Louis's
death should be solved. La Brosse, on the contrary,

QUEEN MARY OF BRABANT. 17<J

did not hesitate to insinuate to tlie king that the prince
had been Mary's victim, and that his three brothers
would meet with the same fate, to make way for her
chiklrcn.

It woukl be difficult to paint the agony and distraction
of the monarch : a horrible crime had been committed
in the bosom of his family, his first-born was the Tictim,
the accused w^as his cherished wife, the accuser a minis-
ter, his friend and confidant : his embarrassment was
extreme ; he employed menaces, promises, and even had
recourse to religious persons, who, he believed, could
learn the truth by a miracle from heaven.

After having exhausted all research and conjecture,
Philip resolved to apply to a celebrated sorceress who
resided at Nivelle in Brabant ; and in this act must be
recognised the queen's influence, the king having pre-
ferred a person who was living under the dominion of
her father, before the numerous individuals who enjoyed
the repute of prophetesses in France. lie accordingly
sent the abbot of St. Denis and the bishop of Bayeux
to Nivelle to consult this oracle. The prophetess eluded
the question by an evasive answer, and the bishop of
Bayeux, who was related to La BrossG, informed the
king that he could not reveal the declaration of the sor-
ceress of Nivelle, because she had spoken under the
secrecy of confession. The king was not satisfied with

180 QUEEN MARY OF BEABANT.

this answer to his application, and immediately sent the
bishop of Dole, and a Knight-Tcmplar, Arnould de Vis-
male, to Nivelle, with a repetition of his question. Their
reply was favourable to the queen, the sorceress having
declared that the poison was administered by a man who
was always about the king's person. Philip, who placed
great faith in those absurdities and impositions, was de-
lighted to find his wife innocent ; he, however, suspended
his resentment against La Brossc, not considering the
evidence sufiiciently conclusive.

But the jealousy and enmity of the queen and nobles
were not long dormant. Shortly after this event a man,
whose name and quality were unknown, arrived at a
monastery in Melun, where he fell dangerously ill ; none
knew from whence he came, but, in dying, he confided
a letter to one of the monks, with strict injunctions to
place it in the hands of the king himself. The monk
performed his commission, and Philip convoked his coun-
cil at Vincennes and communicated the contents of the
letter, which bore the seal of La Brosse, and submitted
it to their decision. La Brosse was arrested and im-
prisoned ; his enemies were his judges, he was convicted
of treason, of holding private communication with the
enemies of France, and of peculation. Of what crime
is a disgraced favourite not capable ? He was accord-
ingly hanged at Paris.

QUEEN MARY OF BRABANT. 181

The people, to whom the accusation and execution
became known at the same moment, murmured violently,
and the king, who already regretted the hasty manner
in which his favourite had been disposed of, displayed
great displeasure towards the queen, whose name was
still not entirely freed from the stain of murder ; he
even placed guards at the door of her apartment, and
forbad her communication with any one but her own
immediate attendants. Fortunately for her, her brother,
the Duke John of Brabant, hastened to France to main-
tain his sister's innocence by close combat, and to prove
by force of arms that she had no hand in poisoning the
young Prince Louis ; and according to the existing law,
if her champion had fallen, she would have been burned
to death. The combat took place ; the opponent who
was chosen to meet the duke was overcome, and the
vanquishing arm of the duke of Brabant proclaimed the
innocence of the queen.

The death of La Brosse was the salvation of Mary of
Brabant ; but few historians spare her the disgrace of
having been the author of that apocryphal letter which
brought the unfortunate man to an ignominious death,
and by which she revenged herself on him, whose only
fault, perhaps, was balancing his own influence with that
of his ambitious queen. She did not enjoy her power
long, for the death of the king, in the year 1285, obliged

VOL. I. — 16

182 QUEEN JANE OF NAVARRE.

her to renounce that authority to which she affixed so
much value. She retired to Picardj, but little more is
known of her than that she founded some monasteries,
which, according to the idea then in existence, was a
certain preservative against the infernal fires, and an
expiation for the greatest crimes.

Mary fixed her last retreat at Mural, near Melun,
where she died in the year 1321, at an advanced age,
after having devoted her latter years to the education of
her granddaughter, Jane of France, queen of Navarre.

Her body was interred in the convent of the Cordeliers
of Paris, and her heart deposited in that of the Jacobins.
She had three children by Philip : Louis, count d'Evreux ;
and two daughters, both of whom were queens, one hav-
ing married Edward I., king of England, and the other
Rodolph, duke of Austria and king of Hungary.

QUEEN JANE OF NAVARRE.

(Reign of Philip lY.)

At the age of fifteen, Philip IV., surnamed Le Bel,
was married in 1284 to Jane of Navarre, Avhen she was
only thirteen years old, by which union the young prince
acquired the title of king of Navarre. This queen owed
her accession to that kinfrdom to a sin.<?ular event. She

QUEEN JANE OF NAVARRE. 163

■was tlie danghter of Henry I., king of Navarre and count
of Champagne, and her joung brother, Thibault, was
the heir ; but the governor of the prince, who was amusing
him by throwing him backwards and forwards to the
nurse, let the chihl fall over a high balcony, and he was
killed on the spot, in 1273. The governor in despair
stabbed himself, and fell dead upon the body of his
young master.

Jane was two years and a half old when this circum-
stance occurred, and her father had her immediately pro-
claimed hereditary queen of Navarre, in opposition to
the ministers of the state, who were desirous of establish-
ing the Saliquc law. Her father, Henry I., when dying,
recommended his wife Blanche d'Artois to marry Jane
to the crown of France, but the nobles of Navarre were
desirous that she should espouse the king of Arragon ;
the queen-mother, therefore, to avoid a dispute, resolved
to remove with her daughter to the court of France,
where they were generously received by Philip III.
The evasion of these princesses created a civil war in
Navarre, but peace was soon restored to that kingdom
by the policy of Philip and the valour of the French
soldiers.

That monarch bestowed great attention on Jane's
education, which was suitable to her rank ; and as an
acknowledgment, and out of gratitude for his generous

184 QUEEN JANE OF NAVARRE.

care, as ^Yell as respect for the memory of her father,
she married the son of her royal host.

According to the wish of the king, Jane retained the
government of Navarre, and, some years after her mar-
riage, succeeded in expelling the Arragonese and Cas-
tilians from that kingdom, in "which she established
sub-governors, who acted under her direction : she also
did the same in Champagne. On the death of Philip-le-
Hardi, which occurred in 1285, Philip IV. and Jane
were crowned and consecrated at Rheims by Peter Bar-
bet, archbishop of that town. The king was prodigal in
his testimonials of esteem for his wife, in whom he had
great confidence; he not only increased her territories
of Brie and Champagne in 1288, but, a few years later,
when attacked by a dangerous malady, made a will in
which he declared Jane the guardian of his children and
regent of the kingdom so long as she remained a widow ;
she did not, however, survive him.

Jane profited much by the careful education she had
received, having been an enthusiastic patroness of the
fine arts, which she cultivated with success. Endowed
with superior genius and rare talents, she actively di-
rected her thoughts towards wise enterprises. It was
this queen who founded the celebrated college of Navarre
at Paris, and munificently remunerated the professors
whom she established in it ; she also built the town of

QUEEN JANE OF NAYARRE. 185

Puente-la-Reyna, in Navarre, an almsliouse at Chateau
Thierrj, and several other places of public utility.

In the year 1299 she accompanied the king in his ex-
pedition against Flanders, and, after the defeat of those
revolted vassals, they -went ivith a large retinue to visit
Bruges. In the entertainments that were given the
king and queen by the inhabitants, Jane saw, Avith asto-
nishment and mortification, that the ladies were magni-
ficently attired in valuable stuffs and covered with dia-
monds. "I thought," said she, "that I should have
appeared here as the only queen ; but I find six hundred
Avomen who by the richness of their apparel can dispute
that title with me." This ostentatious display of the
Flemings, which was done with a view of rendering
honour to the royal pair, excited the queen's envy, and
she was so unworthy as to persuade the king to despoil
them of a part of their goods, which culpable advice he
condescended to follow.

The expenses of the town of Bruges for the reception
of the king had been considerable, and the appearance
of so much wealth was an alhiring bait for the financiers
of the king, who were charged to levy most burdensome
taxes ; the Flemings, accustomed to l^e treated with mo-
deration by their princes, murmured, and the governor
imprisoned several of the most respectable townsmen,

vvdiich so irritated the populace, that men, women, and
IG*

186 QUEEN JANE OF NAVARRE.

cliildren united to attack the Fi^ench governor and his
people, and upwards of five hundred Frenchmen fell on
that unfortunate day ; an event 'which, perhaps, would
never have occurred had not the cupidity of the queen
incited Philip to perform acts of injustice. But great
eulogy is due to Jane of Navarre, for the wisdom with
which she governed, and the energy she displayed, when
the count of Bar made an irruption into Champagne, in
the year 1297 ; this spirited Avoman placed herself at
the head of her troops and marched them to the attack,
when she took the count prisoner and conveyed him in
triumph to Paris.

Jane of Navarre was the motlier of three kings of
France, — Louis X., Philip V., and Charles IV. ; she
had also Isabella, who married the weak and unfortunate
Edward II., king of England ; and three other children
who died young, — Robert, Margaret, and Blanche.
This queen died, aged thirty-three, at the Chateau of
Vincennes, in the year 1305 : she was interred in tlie
choir of the church of the Cordeliers do Paris ; but the
church and tomb were destroyed by fire in 1580.

QUEEN MARGARET OF BURGUNDY. 187

QUEEN MxVRGARET OF BURGUNDY.

(Reign of Louis X.)

In the year 1305 Louis-lc-Mutin, or the Mutinous,
tlicn only fifteen years of age, was married to Margaret
of Burgundy, who was still younger than himself. She
was the daughter of Robert II., duke of Burgundy, and
titulary king of Thessalonica, and of Agnes, daughter
of St. Louis. Margaret was handsome, spirited, and
full of levity ; moreover she was the mistress of her own
actions in a court in which gallantry was extended almost
to libertinism, and powerfully contrasted with the regu-
lar and virtuous habits which were observed during the
reign of her grandmother IMargarct of Provence.

Friar Maillard, in one of his sermons, censured the
dissolute manners of that court in the following coarse
and pointed terms : " N'est-il pas vrai, mesdemoiselles,
qu'il se trouve parmi vous plus de femmes ddbauchi^es
que de femmes honnetes ? . . . D'ailleurs vos peres, Ics
bourgeois de Paris, ont coutume de faire gagner la dot
a, leurs filles a la sucur de lenr corps. Ally a tous les
diables."

The same gross and free style was adopted by the
troubadours and poets throughout France ; and a con-
temporary writer, in an epistle addressed to his country-

188 QUEEN MARGARET OF BURGUNDY.

women, offers them advice by which some idea may be
formed of the manners of that period. He recommends
them not to run in going to church, or to suffer their
bosoms and arms to be too much exposed ; neither to
swear nor drink, and to give up the habit of lying ; to
return the salute of the poor ; to go to the altar without
laughing, and to be careful not to soil their fingers too
much in eating (forks not having been brought into use
until the reign of Henry III.).

Queen Margaret, who was introduced to this corrupted
court at a tender age, acquired its voluptuous tastes and
manners, and at length, with her sisters-in-law, Jane of
Burgundy, wife of Philip, count of Poitiers, and Blanche,
wife of Charles, count of Marche, set an example of
irregularity and disorder, which is almost unprecedented
in the annals of history.

These princesses bribed their ushers to admit into
their apartments two Norman gentlemen, named Philip
and Gautier d' Annoy, who were equerries to the king,
and possessed no particular personal advantages, which
Louis and Charles did in a remarkable degree ; but
Margaret and Blanche nevertheless had an intrigue with
them, and in order to keep it a secret from the court
requested permission to pass the summer season at the
abbey of Maubuisson, near Pontoise ; where, less subject
to observation, and surrounde<l by confidential persons,

QUEEN JMAr.GARET OF BURGUNDY. 189

they could plunge unreservedly into tlicir disgraceful
excesses. Each night the equerries scaled the walls of
the abbey, and clandestinely entered the apartments of
the queen and countess^

At length one of Margaret's maids of honour, I\Iade-
moiselle de Morfortaine, "who had been some time affi-
anced to Philip d'Annoy, perceived his coldness, and
was tempted to watch his movements ; when she observed
him enter the chamber of the queen. She mentioned
the circumstance to her confessor at Maubuisson, who
advised this young girl to discover the whole. Upon
Mademoiselle de Morfontaine's evidence the brothers
were surprised and arrested in the princesses' apart-
ments, and immediately condemned for high treason.
They were fii'st mutilated, then flayed alive, after which
they were beheaded, and their bodies hung upon gibbets
at Pontoise, in 1315. One of the ushers, in his confes-
sion before being strangled, declared that Margaret and
Blanche had used every possible means to conquer the
respect and timidity of these unfortunate young men.

The queen and the countess of Marche, who were
found guilty of adultery, had their heads shaved, and
were imprisoned in the chateau Galliard d'Andelys.*
But Louis could not forgive the indignity and dishonour

*Founded by Richard Coeur-de-Lion, on a spot where it is said to
have rained blood. — Cn.vTEAUBEiAXD.

190 QUEEN MARGARET OF BURGUNDY.

wliich his queen had heaped upon him, and shortly after
her imprisonment he ordered her to be strangled with
her own shroud. She Avas put to death at the age of
twenty-six, in the year 1315, and buried in the church
of the Cordeliers de Vernon. Margaret left one
daughter, Jane, countess d'Evreux and Queen of Navarre.
Blanche, countess of Marche, and the criminal com-
panion of her sister-in-law. Queen Margaret, was the
daughter of Otho IV., count palatine of Burgundy, and
though spared from suffering an ignominious death,
nevertheless endured a long captivity, from which she
never was released but to take the veil. This princess
is reputed to have been the most beautiful woman in
France when she married Charles le Bel, count of
Marche in the year 1307. In 1315 she was confined at
the chateau Galliard d'Andelys ; and nine years after,
on the accession of her husband, Charles IV., to the
throne of France, he solicited Pope John XXII. to dissolve
his marriage ; to which step he was urged by the barons,
who were desirous that he should form another alliance
for the purpose of securing male heirs to the throne.
The pontiff readily acceded to this reasonable request ;
but althou;rh her marriage was cancelled, Blanche was
not permitted the enjoyment of liberty, and a translation
to the chateau Gauray was all the change which was
granted to this prisoner, who, being weary of her mono-

QUEEN CLEMENCE OF HUXGArtY. 191

tonous and sad position, and finding that neither tears
nor protestations would rekindle anj sentiment of either
passion or pity in the heart of her husband, entreated
to be allowed to exchange the captivity of the prison for
that of the cloister ; and after twelve years of rigorous
confinement, took the veil in the abbey of Maubuisson,
where she did penance for her former faults in the spot
that had been the theatre of her pleasures and her
crimes, and near the place in which the companion of
her guilt had expiated his audacious love by an awful
death.

During her conventual seclusion, which lasted but one
year, she had the mortification of witnessing the accession
of two strangers to the throne which her irregularities
had deprived her of ; so that her last days were poisoned
by chagrin. She died in 1326, leaving no posterity, her
two children having preceded her to the tomb.

QUEEN CLEMENCE OF HUNGARY.

After the death of his first wife, Margaret of Bur-
gundy, Louis X. was solicited by the nobles of his court
to seek a more worthy alliance ; he accordingly asked
the hand of Clcmencc, daughter of Charles Robert, king

192 QUEEN CLEMENCE OF IIUNGAFvY.

of Hungary, and a descendant of tlie house of Ilapsburg,
which was accorded ; and Clemencc Avas conducted to
France, and crowned at Eheims by the archbishop,
Kobert de Courtcnay, in the year 1315. Louis died at
Vincennes a few months after his marriage, leaving
Clemence pregnant ; and the barons conferred the
regency on the king's brother, Philip, until her child
should be born to decide the succession. But five months
after Louis's death, the queen's grief for the loss of her
husband caused the premature birth of John, whose
reign and life lasted but five days ; accordingly, by virtue
of the Salique law, the crown was adjudged to Philip.

Louis-le-Hutin left his wife extensive domains in Gati-
nais, and all the confiscated property of Enguerrand de
Maringuy, who had been executed for extortion while
holding the office of superintendent of finances.

Clemence, who during her short reign was greatly
beloved by the French, retired to the Hotel du Temple,
where she died young in the year 1328, surrounded by
numerous attached followers. She was interred in the
church of the Jacobins.

QUEEN JANE OF BURGUNDY. 193

QUEEN JANE OF BUFtGUNDY.

(Reign of rhilip V.)

This princess was the eldest daughter of Otho V.,
count palatine of Burgundy, and of Mahault, countess
of Artois, and sister to Blanche, countess of Marche.

She was married to Philip, count of Poitiers, at Cor-
bel], in loOG ; but was aflSanced to him in 1294, at Yin-
cennes, when only two years of age.

Her husband, who was of a serious character, lived in
retirement, and occupied himself with the study of poetry
and the belles-lettres ; but Jane, who lived on terms of in-
timacy with Queen Margaret of France and her sister
Blanche, imbibed their licentious habits, and, at the age
of fourteen, was accused with them of adultery.

Philip, who was less severe than his brothers Louis X.,
and Charles, confined his wife in the chateau of Dourdain
for twelve months ; at the expiration of which time he
was either moved by a sentiment of self-love, or by his
naturally kind disposition, to pardon and recall her.

The death of his nephew, John, surnamed the Posthu-
mous, having entitled Philip to the throne, he conducted
his wife to Bheims, where she was crowned and conse-
crated with him by the archbishop, Robert de Courtenay,
in 1317. Jane lived on good terms with the hing until

VOL. I.— 17

194 QUEEN JANE OF BURGUNDY.

his death, which occurred in 1322 ; but her "widowhood
is stained by crimes of the most revolting nature, and
the scenes which took place at the abbey of Maubuisson
were enacted at her residence, the Hotel de Nesle, with
double depravity. The towers of the Hotel de Nesle
were bathed by the waters of the Seine, and all those
who had the misfortune to attract Jane's criminal re-
gards were invited to the chateau, and afterwards pre-
cipitated from the heights into the water, to prevent a
recital of her infamy. A young student, named John
Buridan, who was afterwards rector of the university,
recounts in his memoirs the circumstance of his having,
in passing the hotel, engaged the notice of the queen,
who caused him to be conducted to her ; and relates also
how he was so fortunate as to escape the cruel treatment
which had befallen so many others.

Jane died in 1329, at Roye, in Picardy, after having
founded the college of Burgundy, in Paris. She was
buried at the convent of the Cordeliers of Paris, beside
the heart of her husband. This queen gave birth to five
children : Louis, who died young ; Jane, who espoused
Eudes IV., duke of Burgundy; Margaret, married to the
count of Flanders ; Isabella, dauphin e of Viennois ; and
Blanche, abbess of Longchamp.

QUEEN MARY OF LUXEMBURG. 195

QUEEN MARY OF LUXEMBURG.

(Reign of Charles-le-Bel.)

After the pope, John XXIL, had pronounced the
divorce of Blanche of Burgundy, Charles IV., who was
elevated to the throne by the death of his two brothers,
obtained the hand of Mary of Luxemburg, daughter of
Henry YIL, emperor of Germany, and of Margaret of
Brabant. This princess, who had been educated by the
inmates of the Dominican convent', exchanged the som-
bre dress of that order for the royal mantle ; and was
crowned with great splendour at Paris, in the year 1323,
in presence of her brother, the king of Bohemia, and her
uncle, the archbishop of Treves.

But she enjoyed the dignity but a short period, having
lost her diadem and her life by the overturning of her
vehicle in going to the royal palace of Montargis, on
which occasion she was dangerously injured, and died
in her accouchement at Issoudun in the year 1324,
being accompanied to the tomb by her infant ; they
were buried in the church of Saint Dominick dc Mon-
targis.

Mary was only eighteen years of age when her death
occurred.

190 QUEEN JANE D'EVREUX.

QUEEN JANE D'EVREUX.

Charles, who was still young when Mary of Lux-
emburg died, determined to re-marry, with the view
of perpetuating his dynasty ; he therefore selected his
cousin-german, Jane d'Evrcux, whom he espoused in
1325.

This union was advantageous in many respects, and
the king's prospects, in regard of the kingdom of Navarre,
powerfully contributed to decide him in his choice.
Jane's dower was twenty thousand francs in specie, and
an annuity of seven hundred livres.

Three years after their marriage, Charles died, leaving
the queen enceinte, and the succession to the crown of
France was deferred, as in the time of Clemence of
Hungary, until the birth of a girl, which took place in
1328, and left the throne vacant for Philip de Valois.
After the regency of Blanche de Castile, few queens
held that power until the period when it was bestowed
upon Isabella of Bavaria. During that interval, the
queens of France usually occupied themselves with the
acquirements and recreations suitable to their sex.

The queen retired to her own domains in Brie-comte-
Robert, where, during the many reigns which she lived
to witness, she was deservedly respected and esteemed
by all those princes.

QUEEN JANE D'EVREUX. 197

Jane J'Evreux was particularly attached to the Car-
thusian friars of the Chfiteau cle Vauvert, and greatly
enlarged their monastery ; she daily visited its inmates,
and assisted to prejDare their food, -vThich she served her-
self to the sick who were confined in their cells, and
whom she nursed. This pious queen died in 1366, aged
sixty, at Brie-comte-Robert, leaving one girl, Blanche,
who was married to Philip Duke of Orleans ; she had
also two others — Jane and Mary, who died young.

Jane requested by will that there should be no funeral
honours bestowed on her ; nevertheless, after her death
she was transported to Notre Dame de Paris on a bed
of state, with her face uncovered. The sheriffs of the
town carried a cloth of gold, sustained on the point of
lances, over her head ; the whole parliament, in tlieir robes
of ceremony, followed on foot ; and the reigning king,
Charles V., accompanied the funeral procession as far
as Saint Denis, where Jane d'Evreux was placed in the
royal tomb by the side of her husband, Charles IV.

17*

198 QUEEN JANE OF BURGUNDY.

BRANCH OF VALOIS.

QUEEN JANE OF BURGUNDY.

(Reigu of riiilip YI.)

Jane was the daughter of Robert II., duke of Bur-
gundy, and of Agnes, daughter of Saint Louis, and sis-
ter to Margaret, who was strangled for adultery by
order of her husband, Louis X. The hand of this prin-
cess was first promised to the prince of Tarentum, son
of Charles 11. , King of Sicily, but, that union having
been set aside, her marriage with Philip, count of Valois,
was negotiated in 1302, ratified in 1306, broken ofi in
1312, and at length realized at Sens in 1313.

The coronation of Philip and Jane was solemnized
with a magnificence hitherto unknown. They entered
Rheims with a numerous escort of princes, princesses,
ambassadors, and ladies in costly attire. The palace of
the archbishop, William de Trie, was not large enough
to contain this brilliant assemblage, and new halls were
obliged to be added to make sufficient space for their
entertainment. The queen, to celebrate this epoch, pre-
sented the church with an ornament of silver cloth.

Philip displayed the esteem he entertained for his
wife, in having named her regent when he meditated a
long foreign war, but, as he never executed his projects,

QUEEN BLANCHE OF NAVARRE. 199

the regency was but a title of honour for her. Jane
usually resided at the Hotel de Nesle, "which was situated
.on the banks of the Seine, on the spot where the institu-
tion now stands, and where she died of the plague in
1348, aged fifty-five years. She was sincerely loved
and deeply regretted by her husband, who had a high
opinion of her wisdom and talents, and who associated
her in his administration, and joined her signature to his
own in all his most important acts : in the archives of
his day are frequently to be found the words — "de I'avis
et volontd de la reine, notre chere Spouse."

Amongst other acts of her authority, Jane gave liberty
to several prelates, who were imprisoned for an abuse
of privilege, and prevented the sentence of condemnation
for rebellion being pronounced against Robert d'Artois.
She had five sons, — John, king of France, Philip, duke
of Orleans, and three others who died young ; besides a
daughter, Mary, Duchess of Limboui'g.

This queen was interred in the royal cemetery of
Saint Denis.

QUEEN BLANCHE OF NAVARRE.

John, eldest son of Philip de Valois, succeeded to the
throne, and was married to Bonne of Luxemburg, who,
though mother of a king and daughter of a king, was

200 QUEEN BLANCHE OF NAVARRE.

never queen herself, having died before the accession of
her husband. This princess was the daughter of John
of Luxemburg, king of Bohemia. The greatest pomp
and splendour presided at this marriage, which took
place in 1332, and was attended bj the kings of Bohe-
mia and Navarre, as well as by the sovereign dukes of
Brittany, Burgundy, Lorraine, and Brabant.

The amiable disposition of the princess Bonne corres-
ponded with her name, which made her universally be-
loved, and, after enjoying seventeen years of happiness
with her husband, she died in the abbey of Maubuisson,
in the year 1349, deeply regretted by all who were ac-
quainted with her virtues ; she was interred in the choir
of that abbey. Bonne de Luxemburg left eight children,
who were, Charles V., king of France ; Louis, from whom
some of the kings of Sicily sprung ; John, duke of Berri,
father of Pope Felix V. ; Philip-le-Hardi, duke of Bur-
gundy ; Jane, who married Charlcs-le-Mauvais, king of
Navarre ; Mary, duchess of Bar ; Margaret, who was
dedicated to the church at Poissy ; and Isabella, who
espoused Galeas Visconti, duke of Milan.

After her death, Philip was desirous of marrying his
widowed son John to Blanche, daughter of Philip III.,
king of Navarre, and of Jane of France, whose hand
was disputed by several princes, and promised to
Alphonso XL, king of Castile ; but as soon as the king

QUEEN ELAXCIIE OF NAVARRE. 201

of Franco made known his wislies to the kino- of Na-
varre, that engagement was dissolved, and the princess
was sent to France. During Blanche's journey, the
queen of France died, and on her arrival she found the
court in mourning ; it did not, however, last long, for
the king became so much enamoured of this young
princess, whom he had intended for his son John, duke
of Normandy, that he offered her his own hand, and
Blanche's ambition induced her to accept the crown, by
uniting herself at the age of eighteen to a man who was
forty years her senior.

The marriage was celebrated at Brie-comte-Robert,
in the year 1349 ; but Blanche did not long enjoy the
dignity of reigning queen, Philip having died eighteen
months after their marriage, at Nogent-le-Rotron, in
1350, leaving his young and beautiful widow on the eve
of her accouchement.

Blanche retired to the Chateau of Neaufles, where
she gave birth to a daughter called Jane. She seldom
appeared at court, and passed most of her days in re-
tirement, where she was allowed abundant means of gra-
tifying her taste for religious foundations and the be-
stowal of alms by the king, Jolni, who had great esteem
for her.

Some historians relate that she married her chamber-
lain, the sire of Rabaudanges, but that the king would

202 QUEEN JANE OF AUVERGNE.

not permit the union to be made public, and also insisted
that that officer should continue to hold the same appoint-
ment in the queen's household. Whether this circum-
stance deserves credit is doubtful, but it is certain that,
"when the king of Castile, to whom she was affianced
before her marriage with Philip VI., repeated his offer,
she sent back the ambassadors with the following reply:
— "Les reines de France ne se remarient pas."

Jane died at the Chateau de Neaufles, in the year
1398, aged seventy, and was buried at Saint Denis.
This queen had but one daughter, Jane, who died at the
age of eighteen at Beziers, when on her journey to Spain
to marry the Duke de Girone, son of Henry IV., king
of Arrajron.

QUEEN JANE OF AUVERGNE.

(Reign of John.)

Jane, daughter of William XII., count of Boulogne,
and of Margaret d'Evreux, was married in 1338 to Philip
de Rouvres, duke of Burgundy, by whom she had one
son : eight years after she was left a widow, the duke
having been killed by a fall from his horse at the siege
of Aquillon ; and Avhcn dying he recommended his wife
and children to the care of the kins: of France.

QUEEN JANE OF AUVERGNE. 203

Edward III., king of England, was desirous of form-
ing an alliance with Jane d'Auvergne, on account of the
proximity of the province of Boulogne to Calais, but
John was so much captivated by the gentle manners and
agreeable conversation of the Duchess of Burgundy,
that he baffled Edward's projects, and the beautiful relict
of the duke of Burgundy espoused the widowed king of
France.

The marriage was celebrated in 1349 by the bishop
of Paris, in the church of Nanterre, and the coronation
took place at Rheims some months after. The entry of
the royal pair into Paris was most brilliant, and the com-
mencement of their reign a series of magnificent enter •
tainments ; but after some few years of pleasure had
rolled rapidly away, France experienced disasters which
clouded it with grief.

In 1356 the king was taken prisoner at the battle ot
Poitiers, and conveyed to England, where he found con-
solation and sympathy in the heart of the countess of
Salisbury, who was deeply affected by his misfortunes.

At length peace was concluded with England, and
John left several hostages as guarantees of his fidelity
until the accomplishment of his engagement with Ed-
ward ; but his son, the duke of Anjou, who was one of
the hostages, having violated his promise, and escaped
to France, John immediately returned to England in

20i QUEEN JANE OF AUVERGNE.

1364, and gave himself up as a prisoner, replying to
those who endeavoured to dissuade him, that — " Si la
bonne foi dtait bannie de la terre, elle devait trouver un
asile dans le coeur des rois."

It has been said that John's real cause for returning
to England was a desire to revisit the countess of Salis-
bury, to whom he was much attached ; but as nothing
can be affinued on this subject, it is more in accordance
with the excellent character usually attributed to that
king to judge his motive on that occasion by his action,
as well as by his noble reply, which does honour to his
memory.

When in England, the king was seized with a severe
malady, and the queen, who was deprived of all authority
by the regency of the dauphin, resided at the court of
her son, the duke of Burgundy, where the grief she felt
for her husband's misfortunes considerably abridged her
days.

Jane died in 1365, exactly one year after her husband,
and was buried at Saint Denis. She had no children
by king John.

QUEEN JANE OF BOURBON. 205

QUEEN JANE OF BOURBON.

(Reign of Charles V.)

Jane -vvas the daughter of Peter I., duke of Bourbon,
and of Isabella of Valois, and was born at Vincennes in
1337, and married to the dauphin Charles in 1350. At
the age of six years, Jane's father formed a project for
contracting an alliance for her with the count of Savoy,
but the death of that prince's father prevented the
engagement. In 1348 she was aflSanced to Humbert,
Dauphin of Viennois, but that prince, having resolved
to retire from the world and devote himself to religion,
gave his estates to Charles, Dauphin of France, Duke of
Normandy, who also inherited his betrothed wife. Four-
teen years after their marriage, Philip V. and Jane of
Bourbon were crowned at Rheims by the archbishop,
John de Craon, in 13G4 ; and the queen, on her return
from Rheims, made her entry to Paris, mounted on a
horse richly caparisoned, and led by the king's brother
on foot.

The king was devotedly attached to Jane, whose
beauty made a great impression on the volatile Parisians.
He spent large sums in procuring her costly dresses and
valuable ornaments, and entitled her "le soleil du
royaume." He placed her beside him in the parliament,

VOL. I. — 18

206 QUEEN JANE OF BOURBON.

and required her to give advice upon all occasions of
difficulty.

Jane is represented as being worthy of these honours,
bj the careful education she bestowed on her children,
and the virtuous example she set them. Christian de
Pison says, "La royne, durant le repas, par ancienne
et raisonnable coustume, pour obvier a vagues paroles et
pensdes, avait un prud'homme au bout de la table, qui
sans cesse disait gestes et moeurs d'aucuns bons tr^-
pass^s."

This queen conducted the affairs of government with
so much prudence during the king's long and frequent
maladies, that he pronounced her regent, in conjunction
with the dukes of Burgundy and Bourbon, when his
death should occur. In sickness and misfortune Jane
was his consolation, as she had been the charm of his
happier days ; and her death, which took place before
his own, caused him a deep and settled regret from which
he never recovered. Having imprudently bathed, in
opposition to the wishes of her medical adviser, she
expired at the royal residence of Saint Paul, in 1377,
on giving birth to Catherine de France, countess de
Montpensier.

Her funeral obsequies were attended with great pomp,
having been borne to the church of Notre Dame by the
first nobles in the kingdom ; her body was clothed in

QUEEN AND REGENT ISABELLA. 207

royal robes, the face covered with a white veil of silver
tissue, and bearing in her hand a rose and sceptre of
fine gold. From Notre Dame she was convc^^ed to
Saint Denis, where her remains still repose.

Jane was the mother of nine children, three of whom
only survived' her. The eldest was Charles, who suc-
ceeded his father as king of France ; the next, Louis,
duke of Orleans ; and the last and only daughter who
was spared an early death was Catherine, whose exist-
ence cost her her life.

Queen Jane encouraged literature, which she culti-
vated herself with great success ; her virtues rendered
her loss a subject of sincere regret to the French, who
were much attached to her.

QUEEN AND REGENT ISABELLA OF
BAVARIA.

(Reign of Charles VL)

The kingdom of France, during the minority of
Charles VI., was a prey to the depredations and rivalries
of his uncles, the dukes of Berri, Burgundy, and Anjou,
who held the power without possessing the talents or

208 QUEEN AND REGENT

the justice for governing. Charles V., with the politic
view of fortifying France against the invasions of Eng-
land, left his (lying recommendation to his son to seek a
wife among the princesses of Germany ; but this wise
project was attended with most unfortunate results :
Isabella of Bavaria, daughter of Stephen IL, Count
Palatin du Rhin, and of Tadia Visconti, was chosen.
She possessed remarkable beauty, but was too young at
that time for her marriage to be realized ; it has been said
that Heaven was desirous of giving France an opportu-
nity to avoid that scourge. Nevertheless, the report of
the projected marriage reached the court of Bavaria,
which, sensible of the honours and advantages attending
an alliance with the crown of France, forwarded the
views of Charles VI. by a manoeuvre, fearing lest that
monarch should be united to the daughter of the duke
of Lancaster, or the heiress of Lorraine.

The duchess of Brabant, an intriguing woman, treated
with the young king's uncles respecting the marriage,
and, as soon as she discovered there was a prospect of
success, accompanied Isabella to France, who took the
journey under the pretext of a pilgrimage. Charles VI.
was at Amiens, whither the duchess conducted her charge,
and introduced her to the king in all the brilliancy of
her beauty, and in elegant attire ; on her first interview
she knelt before the monarch, who immediately took her

ISABtlLLA OF BAVARIA. 209

hand and raised lier. This artifice, palpable as it "was,
succeeded, and Charles VI., then only seventeen years
of age, fell into the snare ; one sight of Isabella deter-
mined his choice ; he immediately sent his favourite.
Bureau de la Riviere, to ask the duke of Bavaria for the
hand of the princess, which was accorded, and the mar-
riage celebrated at Amiens in 1385.

Her immoderate taste for luxury, and love of coquetry,
began early to manifest itself, and she instituted a Court
of Love, upon the model of that established by Eleonor
of Guyenne. Besides the princes of the blood royal,
and the most ancient nobility of France, there were also
doctors of theology, bishops, chaplains, curates, and
canons enj^afifed in the affairs of this court.

The king, who was ardently attached to Isabella, en-
couraged her prodigality by his silence ; she withdrew
him from the cares of government, and made him the
slave of her caprice.

Isabella was crowned at Paris in 1389, after the birth
of two princes, upon which occasion magnificent enter-
tainments were given. A triumphal arch was erected
at the entrance of the town ; all the streets through
which she passed were hung with embroidery and
flowers; at each crossing the Passion and Crucifixion
were enacted, and the fountains threw forth milk and
wine. As she passed over the Pont-au-Change, a rope-
18*

210 QUEEN AND REGENT

dancer in the guise of an angel, descended from between
the towers of Notre Dame, placed a crown of diamonds
upon her head, and re-ascended. She was seated in a
car covered with linen cloth, which was then a new in-
vention and of great value ; hitherto the queens and
princesses had travelled on horseback, or in litters, and
Catherine de Medicis was the first queen in France who
had a coach or chariot with leather curtains.

To these fetes succeeded others at Saint Denis, and
the magnificence and expense attending them were incon-
ceivable ; they lasted three days and were concluded with
a Bacchanalian orgie. The queen of Sicily, then in
Paris, was invited, and, under favour of their masks, the
two queens and all the assembly committed the greatest
disorders.

The king's weakness rendered him blind to the queen's
irregularities, and his infamous wife commenced that
course of vicious life which led her to deceive and betray
her husband, her king, her son, and her country. No
doubt her attachment to the Duke of Orleans was the
first cause of the mental alienation of Charles VI., which
signalized the commencement of that disastrous epoch,
when, but for the miraculous aid of Providence, through
the means of the celebrated Joan of Arc, France would
have been subjugated, and the vanquished people have
fallen under the English yoke.

ISABELLA OF BAVAEIA. 211

The king's brother, Louis, duke of Orleans, was a per-
son of vicious and dissolute habits, and this was the man
for whom the queen forsook her husband, and neglected
those talents which she mifrht have rendered conducive
to the hajjpiness and welfare of the country. But she
was ambitious and violent, and by her intrigues and
extravagances forced the overtaxed people to revolt ; she
fomented divisions, which were extended by the power
of the English in France, and was execrated by the
people, who loved and pitied their sovereign, knowing
that his misfortunes as well as their own were caused by
the queen.

Charles, whose disposition was generous, and whose
first wish was the happiness of his people, was too weak
to withstand the perfidy of Isabella, who, instead of
exerting her influence to settle the disputes which existed
between the king and his uncles, fed the flame of discord.

The king's insanity augmented the disasters of the
country ; he was hunting in the forest of Mens in the
year 1392, when the figure of a phantom appeared to
him, and uttered some sinister predictions, which so terri-
fied the monarch that he never entirely recovered his
reason ; this infamous trick is said to have been the
work of John-sans-Peur, duke of Burgundy, and from
that occurrence commenced the most fatal period of
Charles's reign. Discipline was set aside for want of a

212 QUEEN AND EEGENT

master ; all were desirous of commanding ; and tliis
terrible anarchy was increased by the quarrels between
the Burgundians and Armagnacs, which deluged France
with blood.

Nevertheless, at this unhappy period the queen main-
tained every species of revelry at court ; the misery of
the people, and the confusion of the state, did not inter-
rupt her pleasures : in this age were confounded massa-
cres and fetes ; the most terrible truths and romance ;
transgressions and courtships; all the disorders of the
real as well as of the fictitious world.

Isabella took occasion of her husband's insanity to
obtain supremacy, but, after having bestowed her confi-
dence on the duke of Orleans and his followers, she sud-
denly changed, declared herself in favour of the duke
of Burgundy, and opposed to the duke of Orleans, be-
cause the latter appeared on amicable terms with his
wife, Valentina de Milan, for whom she had a professed
hatred. This Italiiin princess had contrived to calm the
wandering mind of the unhappy Charles, and so insinu-
ated herself in his favour, that he always saw her with
pleasure, and at lucid intervals would converse rationally
with her, so that the duchess of Orleans was accused of
witchcraft. Pier sorceries were, however, her numerous
graces ; she had brought polished manners, and a taste
for refinement, into France, which, in its still uncultivated

ISABELLA OF BAVARIA. 213

state, appeared to its inhabitants a species of magic ;
and, as Chateaubriand says, " On aurait brule Valen-
tine de Milan pour sa beaute comme on brula Jeanne
d'Arc pour sa gloire." Isabella has the credit of plot-
ting this ridiculous accusation, which the superstitious
p 'iple seized with avidity, so that Valentina de Milan
"was obliged to retire from her husband and the court.

In this sad position of affairs, the government of the
health and person of the king was entirely intrusted to
Isabella, and that of the affairs of state to her new par-
tisan, the duke of Bui'gundy. The duke of Orleans, as
brother to the king, disputed that right with him, and
the queen again changed in favour of the duke of Orleans,
to whom the duke of Burgundy was obliged to give place.
Dui'ing these family broils, the unhappy king was so
neglected that he sometimes even wanted the necessaries
of life. His children were not more fortunate than him-
self; their governess one day complained that they had
neither proper food nor clothing, when Charles took a
gold cup which stood beside him, and gave it to the
governess, desiring her to procure what was necessary
for them.

At length, during a lucid interval, the king assembled
a council, for the purpose of remedying the general
misery, and the people, being exasperated against the
queen, revolted, and obliged her and the duke of Orleans

214 QUEEN AND REGENT

to leave Paris and seek refuge at Melun ; from thence
she sent for the dauphin, hut the duke of Burgundy
■would not permit him to go to her. The queen and the
duke of Orleans raised troops, and prepared to oppose
the duke of Burgundy, and some time elapsed before
peace was restored between them ; however, a reconcili-
ation at length took place, and the two dukes received
the sacrament together, embraced each other, and swore
by the Holy Evangelists to preserve amity. The day
following the duke of Orleans was assassinated on quit-
ting the Hotel Barbette, the residence of his sister-in-
law, the queen, where he had passed the night, she being
in momentary expectation of gi^'ing birth to a child,
upon which occasion he manifested great anxiety and
interest. A modern writer asserts that this child was
the miraculous Joan of Arc.

The duke of Burgundy did not attempt to conceal
that he was the author of this crime, and triumphed over
Isabella, whom he had robbed of her lover and protector,
and obliged once more to take refuge in Melun ; she,
however, shortly afterwards possessed herself of Paris,
which she re-entered in triumph, and assembled a coun-
cil, in which Juvenal des Ursins, the king's advocate,
declared that Charles VI. had made choice of the queen
his wife as regent of France during his indisposition ; a
declaration which Isabella had no doubt forced or pur-

ISABELLA OF BAVARIA. 21 j

chased. Her next act was to authorize the duchess of
Milan to demand justice for the murder of her husband,
which she did ; but it was no easj task to bring the duke
of Burgundy to justice.

This prince had many partisans in Paris, and was both
popular and powerful ; he advanced with his army for
the purpose of retaking the toATO, and for the third time
Isabella quitted the capital ; but on this occasion she
was accompanied by the king, the dauphin Louis, the
dauphine, the kings of Sicily and Navarre, and a great
many nobles, and transferred the court to Tours; so
that on his arrival at Paris the duke was coldly received,
and obliged to enter into a negotiation with the royal
family, who returned to Paris.

The treacherous and crafty queen, in 1411, by an
unaccountable spirit of caprice and inconstancy, threw
herself into the murderous arms of the duke of Bur-
gundy, who had been her most bitter enemy, and on
whose head she had set a price. At this juncture Eng-
land, profiting by the civil feuds, declared war against
France, and Henry V. of England gained a signal vic-
tory at Agincourt in 1415, by which, with the internal
divisions, the kingdom was left almost entirely to the
power of the English. At this period Isabella lost three
of her sons. Charles, who became dauphin by his bro-
ther's death, was opposed by the duke of Burgundy, and

216 QUEEN AND REGENT

this unnatural mother joined with that prince against
her son.

Charles united with the count of Armagnac, and, in
order to procure means for carrying on the war with
England, seized all the treasures and precious stones
which his mother had placed loi security in different
churches ; he also arrested the chevalier de Saligny, a
gentleman who professed great attachment for the queen,
although she was twenty years older than himself.

This act, which occurred in 1417, overwhelmed Isa-
bella with despair, and she determined to revenge it.
\Yhile Avaiting a favourable opportunity to give vent to
her resentment, she retired to the chateau of Yincennes,
where she surrounded herself with a most dissolute
court : the companion of her guilt there was Louis de
Boisbourdon, a gentleman who had gained great dis-
tinction by his courageous conduct at the battle of
Agincourt. The king, in one of his sensible intervals,
when on his way to Vincennes, met Boisbourdon, whom
he caused to be arrested on the spot by Tanneguy
Duchatel ; he then ordered him to be strangled, his
body enclosed in a sack, on which was written, " Laissez
passer la justice du roi," and thrown into the river.

The dauphin was so outraged at the infamous conduct
of the queen, who publicly acknowledged herself the
mistress of the duke of Burgundy, that he arrested and

ISABELLA OF BAVARIA. 217

sent her to Tours, under the charge of Laurent Depujs
and others.

Although forty-six years of age, Isabella was still
beautiful, and the duke of Burgundy -was so much cap-
tivated with her that he put himself at the head of eight
hundred men, attacked the abbey de Marmontiers, in
■which she was confined, delivered her, and conducted
her to Joigny.

Isabella's aversion for her son was augmented by her
arrest ; it is said that she more than once attempted to
poison him, and that it was the belief in his death that
induced the king to appoint her regent. In virtue of
that power, she issued orders throughout all the towns
in France, enjoining obedience to the duke of Burgundy ;
she appointed new ministers of the crown, who expedited
the affairs of state under the duke's private seal.

The discontented princes, amongst whom was the duke
of Orleans, son of the duke who was assassinated, be-
sieged Paris ; the palace of the king and dauphin was
forced, and the duke of Burgundy obliged to retire.
The Pope, Martin V., sent legates to endeavour to con-
ciliate the parties, but in vain. The duke of Burgundy
once more obtained the advantage of his enemies, and
retook Paris. He made a triumphal entry into the
capital with the queen, escorted by twelve hundred men.
Isabella was seated on a brilliant car, magnificently

VOL. I. — 19

218 QUEEN AND REGENT

dressed, and proceeded to the residence of the king, the
Hotel Saint Paul, in the midst of acclamations and han-
ners, and through streets strewn with flowers, and still
stained with the blood which she had shed, — a sad proof
of the levity of the people !

Her first act after the retaking of Paris was to sup-
press the parliament, and have the throats of all the
members cut ; after which she created a new council to
enregister her laws. Paris became a scene of carnage ;
the prisons were forced and the prisoners massacred ;
more than three thousand persons were sacrificed to the
fury of the duke of Burgundy and his royal mistress ;
the English possessed themselves of Eouen ; and this
queen, of odious memory, negotiated the loss of the
kingdom with the enemies of France.

She appointed an interview at Meulan with Henry V.,
king of England, whither she intended to conduct her
daughter Catherine, who was then eighteen years of age,
in the hope that she might captivate the heart of the
English monarch ; but the duke of Burgundy, who fore-
saw that his country would infallibly fall into the hands
of the English, baffled this intrigue of the queen by pre-
venting the interview.

In 1419 a treaty of peace was concluded between the
dauphin and the duke of Burgundy, but the enmity was
too deeply rooted to suffer it to last, and Jean-sans-Peur

ISABELLA OF BAVAIUA. 219

was assassinated on the bridge of Montereau by some of
the dauphin's partisans. The vindictive queen resolved to
punish her son for the murder of the object of her aifec-
tions ; he was the third lover who had met with a violent
death ; and in 1420 she concluded the ignominious treaty
of TroyeSj by which Henry V. of England espoused her
daughter Catherine, and was to succeed to the throne of
France: a double violation — of the Salique law, as well
as of the law of primogeniture, Catherine having had
two sisters older than herself; nevertheless Isabella
influenced Charles VI. to acknowledge the king of Eng-
land for his heir, to the prejudice of the dauphin.

This treacherous action of the queen did not succeed,
for Henry V. died at Vincennes in 1422, exactly six
weeks before the unfortunate Charles VI.

During his frenzied attacks Charles was sometimes so
violent that no person dared to approach him ; Isabella
of Bavaria entirely abandoned him in his malady, leaving
him unprovided with proper food and necessaries, so that
he was seized with a leprous disease after remaining five
months without changing his linen.

At length his criminal wife sent a young girl named
Odette de Champdivers, the daughter of a horse-dealer,
to attend upon the king. This young person was remark-
able for her beauty and gentle disposition, and acquitted
herself of the commission confided to her with the greatest

220 QUEEN AND REGENT

devotion and patience : she alone understood him, and
was in effect the only person whose presence he could
endure ; and Odette spent hours in playing cards, which
were recently introduced in France, to while away the
heavy time of the maniac and captive monarch.

It is said that Charles VI. feared Odette as much as
he loved her, and that she was sometimes obliged to
exercise her authority to make him partake of his
meals, and even change his dress ; so that she was styled
" la 2^etite reine.''

Her self-sacrifice was complete, and, although the
result of her intimacy with the king was the birth of a
daughter, she has been thought worthy of commendation
for having consecrated her liberty and existence to the
alleviation of misery and the consolation of her unhappy
sovereign.

Odette de Champdivers' daughter, INIargaret of Valois,
was acknowledged as sister by Charles VII., who pre-
sented her with a handsome dower on her marriage, which
took place in the year 1427, with Robert de Ilarpedanne,
lord of Belleville, in Poitou.

After the death of Charles VI., Isabella was engaged
in constant quarrels with her son. The French people
detested her ; she dragged on a miserable and neglected
existence ; and she, Avho united the pomp and depravity
of Messalina to the sanguinary taste of Catherine de

ISABELLA OF BAVARIA. 221

Mcdicis, died poor and abandoned at the Hotel Saint
Paul, fifteen days after the treaty of Arras, in the year
1435.

After the ceremony of the coronation of her grandson,
Henry VI., king of England and France, which occurred
in 1432, he saluted her in passing the windows of the
Hotel Saint Paul, at one of which she was standing ; on
returning his salute, she retired in tears. " C'dtait,"
she said, " du plaisir do voir son petit-fils orne de deux
couronnes." It would be doing her a great honour to
suppose that her tears were the eifect of repentance.

Isabella had six sons, all of whom died before her but
Charles VII., for whom she expressed the deepest hatred ;
she had also six daughters, among whom were — Isabella,
who married Richard II., king of England, and, after
his death, Charles, duke of Orleans ; Michal, wife of
Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy ; Catherine, who
married Henry V., king of England, and afterwards
Owen Tudor, grandfather of Henry VII. ; Mary, who
was dedicated to the church at Poissy ; and Jane, duch-
ess of Brittany.

Isabella's corpse was conducted at night by the Eng-
lish in a little boat to Saint Denis, where it was buried
beside her ill-used husband, Charles VI. ; her heart was
deposited at the church of the Celestins of Paris.
10*

222 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

(Reign of Charles VII.)

Mary, daughter of Louis II., duke of Anjou, and king
of Naples and Jerusalem, and of Yolande of Arragon,
was nine years of age when she was affianced to Charles
of France, count of Ponthieu, in 1413. The prince was
then only eleven years old, and the marriage was real-
ized nine years after at Tours.

This princess was remarkable for her mildness, piety,
and resignation under Charles's numerous reverses ; she
cheerfully shared her indolent husband's fate during four-
teen years that his kingdom was almost entirely under
the dominion of the English. She even supported with
patience his love of pleasure, and the disdain of some of
his many favourites, who were not all so respectful to
her as to Agnes Sorel.

At the age of twelve years Charles is said to have
formed an attachment to one of his mother's maids of
honour; she was the daughter of Charles VI. 's cham-
berlain, William de Kassignel, lord of Romainville. To
celebrate Gerarde's beauty he had the letter K, a swan
(cygne), and the letter L, embroidered on his banners,
and these hieroglyphical figures were in usage for a long
series of years. She married Bertrand de Rochefort,

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU. 223

and after his death, xintoine de Rohan, lord of PtO-
chelle.

Charles greatly esteemed his amiable wife, who con-
tributed as far as lay in her jiower, towards arresting the
disorders of affairs during the invasion of the English :
she sacrificed her jewels and all her valuables for the
subsistence of the army, and prevented, in conjunction
with Agnes Sorel, the discouraged king from retiring
to Dauphin^ and by that means delivering up all the
meridional provinces to the enemy.

At that time the appearance of Joan of Arc entirely
changed the fortune and credit of the French army.

Two Avomen, who were contemporary with the infamous
Isabella, are entitled to the gratitude of their country,
and the names of Agnes Sorcl and Joan of Arc are
associated in its welfare : the one conceived noble pro-
jects ; the other executed them with intrepidity.

Joan of Arc was brought up at Doremy, a village near
Vaucouleurs in Champagne, upon the frontiers of Lor-
raine, and was occupied until the age of seventeen in
tending her father's sheep and aiding him in the care of
his garden. At the end of February, in the year 1429,
she presented herself before the Sire Baudricourt,
governor of the town, and requested him to send her to
the dauphin, whom she declared Heaven had commis-
sioned her to re-establish upon his throne. The

2^4 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

governor, thinking her mad, dismissed her ; but she
returned in a few days, and entreated him, for the love
of Heaven, to send her, assuring him that on that day
the dauphin wouhl suffer great loss ; and that, if she did
not go and raise the siege of Orleans, he would endure still
greater. The loss Joan referred to was the unfortunate
combat of Rouvrai, which was upwards of three hundred
miles distant from Vaucouleurs, and when Baudricourt
heard of it, he remembered the singularity of her
announcement, and provided her with the means of pro-
ceeding to the dauphin.

The persons appointed to accompany her hesitated,
fearing to encounter English troops in traversing the
country ; but Joan displayed such firmness, and so ener-
getically guaranteed their safety, that their confidence
was restored, and they arrived safely at Chinon, Avhere
the king then was. The same fear of ridicule which
deterred the governor from paying attention to Joan's
first application retarded her inter^dew with Charles, but
she was at length admitted.

It is said, that, when introduced to the monarch, whose
dress was in no way different from that of those who sur-
rounded him, she instantly distinguished him, and related
her visions and revelations with so much enthusiasm, and
made such sensible and even sublime remarks, that the
kin^i; was embarrassed how to act.

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU. . 225

As proof of her power, she was required to perform a
miracle, when she replied that she had no power to that
effect, but that, if they would conduct her to Orleans,
she would 2:ive them certain sicrns of her mission. Charles

o o

asked her whether she did not think that Heaven would
save France without the aid of arms ; she modestly
replied, " Les gens d'armes combatront en mon Dieu, et
Ic Seigneur donnera la victoire." All who visited her
Avere astonished at her wisdom and edified by her
piety.

The king provided her with a complete suit of armour,
excepting the sword, which she requested might be
fetched from the tomb of an old warrior in the church
of Saint Catherine de Fierbois, and which was found in
the spot she described. Charles also supplied her with
the entire equipage and retinue of a commander, and
sent her to the aid of Orleans. Armed with her sword
and sainted banner, she led on the troops to the attack
of the fortifications which the English had raised, inspired
them with an extraordinary enthusiasm, and struck terror
into the hearts of the British soldiers, when she planted
her standard on the breach. At the commencement of
the action she received a wound in the neck from an
arrow, which she plucked out with her own hand ; she
reanimated the confidence of the soldiers, when she per-
ceived it failing; and at length entered triumphantly

226 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

into tliG town of Orleans, amidst the acclamations of the
inhabitants whom she had come to deliver. (1429.)

She next advised the king to take possession of all
the small towns that surrounded Orleans, in order to
proceed to Rheims without opposition, a journey which
she strenously urged the necessity of his undertaking :
many of the first generals opposed her wishes, but Joan
knelt before Charles, and, embracing his knees, said,
" Gentil dauphin, ne tenez plus tant de conseils inutiles ;
mais ne songez qu'a vous rendre a Rheims, pour y rece-
voir la couronne."

The dukes of Alengon, Dunois, La Hire, and other
warriors, watched her movements with the greatest
admiration.

At the siege of Gergeau she was observed to mount
on the highest step of the scaling-ladder and wave her
banner ; at the same moment a stone struck her so vio-
lently on the head, that it broke her helmet and east her
to the foot of the walls ; but she immediately rose and
cried out, " Amis, amis, sus, sus ! notre Seigneur a con-
damn^ les Ano-lais. lis sont a nous. Bon courage !"
She took the brave Talbot prisoner at Xaintrailles, as
also Patay and Scales, and conducted the king in safety
to Rheims, where he was crowned with the usual ceremo-
nies, during which Joan of Arc stood near him, dressed
in armour, with her banner extended over his head. At

QUEEN MAllY OF ANJOU. 227

the conclusion of the consecration she prostrated herself
before the monarch, and, with a voice half suffocated
with emotion, said, " Enfin, gentil roi, or est execute le
plaisir de Dicu, qui voulait que vous vinssiez a Rheims
recevoir Totre digne sacre, en montrant que vous etes
vrai roi, et celui auquel le royaume doit appartenir."

She then declared that her celestial mission was
accomplished, and entreated to be allowed to retire to
her native village and resume her former avocations ;
hut the king was unwillinfi; to lose the services of the
heroine, and required her to make an attack on Paris,,
where she was dangerously wounded, and again renewed
her prayers for a dismissal. "Henceforth," she said,
" she would have no dying regrets." The count Dunois
inquired whether she had had any revelation respecting
her end ; she replied she had not, but that God had
given her no other command than to raise the siege of
Orleans and conduct the king to Rheims. She was,
however, so earnestly exhorted to continue in the king's
service, that she suffered herself to be persuaded, but
not without compunction, as she said an interior voice
warned her to retreat.

The king exempted the village of Doremy from all
future taxes, ennobled her family and all their posterity,
granted them armorial bearings, and bestowed on them
the name of "i)6'S Lis;" but the heroine herself was

22S QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

always called "ia Pucelle." The historian Daniel re-
marks that in his time the descendants of her family
were still living.

Joan, devoted to new perils, enjoyed none of these
honours ; she threw herself into Compiegne, which was
then besieged by the English and Burgundians, and was
taken by a captain of the latter, who delivered her up
to Count John de Ligny Luxembourg, and he sold her
to the English for the sum of three thousand francs in
ready money, and an annuity of three hundred francs
for the captor, — infinitely more than Edward III. paid
to the soldier who took King John of France prisoner.
The English celebrated the imprisonment of Joan of Arc
with the greatest demonstrations of delight ; but Charles
made not the slightest attempt to recover her from their
hands : he enjoyed the fruits of her work, without be-
stowing one thought on her who had opened his road to
victory.

Although Joan was a prisoner of war, she was not
treated as such, but handed over to ecclesiastical justice,
and John Couchon, bishop of Beauvais, and a host of
prelates and lawyers, were the judges of a girl of nine-
teen years, who had neither advocates nor defenders.
The process lasted three months, and had sixteen sit-
tings ; the original manuscript still exists, and Joan's
firm and prudent replies afford subject for continual as-

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU. 229

tonishment. lu reply to the first interrogation, which
required her to answer truly to every question that should
be put to her, she said, "You may probably ask me to
say that which I cannot reveal without perjuring myself."

"Promise," said one of her interlocutors, "not to
reply evasively."

She answered, "If I save myself, you cannot accuse
me of having violated my word, because I have not given
you my faith." Among other questions she was asked
whether the king had visions. Her reply was, " Send
and ask him." She remarked to the bishop of Beauvais,
" In becoming my judge, reflect upon the burden you
are imposing on yourself." Everything was done to
embarrass her, and for the purpose of confusing her, se-
veral frequently interrogated her at one time : " Good
fathers," she said, in a calm tone, "one after the other,
if you please."

Some of her enemies proposed to put her to the tor-
ture, but the duke of Bedford refused, lest she should
expire under the trial ; but this action was the refinement
of barbarity. "The king of England," he said, "has
bought her at a high price, and Avishes to have her pub-
licly burned." Joan endeavoured to escape from her
prison, but in jumping from a window was injured and
retaken ; after which a chain was fastened round her

body, and the soldiers who guarded her were never suf-
voL. I. — 20

230 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

fered to leave tlie room, even when she changed her
dress, which was, as she confessed, the most painful part
of her captivity. She was condemned to be burned
alive as a sorceress.

Her place of execution was the Vieux Marche of
llouen : opposite the pile two scaffolds were erected for
the secular and ecclesiastical judges. Joan was dressed
in female attire, with a mitre on her head, on Avhich
were written the words, " Apostate, Relapse, Idoldtre,
Heretique ;" she was supported by two Dominican friars,
and manacled. Meekly kneeling, she pronounced a
short prayer recommending herself to God, and gene-
rously asking glory, honour, and welfare for her king,
who had so ungratefully forgotten her. Her piety and
resignation affected her judges, and even the bishop of
Beauvais, to tears.

Some historians assert that she mounted the woodpile
with firmness, harangued the people, and heaped re-
proaches on the English ; others that she ascended with
humility as an innocent victim, without bravado or
complaint.

She asked for a crucifix, and an English soldier broke
a stick and formed a cross, which he presented to her ;
Joan kissed it with devotion, and pressed it to her bosom.

Her agony was long, in consequence of the extreme
height of the pile, which was done to afibrd a spectacle

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU. 231

to the people ; her torture drew forth some moans, and
her last faltering words bespoke confidence in her
Saviour, whose aid she implored. Thus died this glo-
rious young girl, who was courageous in combat, prudent
in counsel, and of irreproachable manners in the midst
of the camp. It is asserted by many historians that
after her death, on removal of the ashes, her heart was
found entire.

She has been the theme of many poets of different
countries ; the most distinguished of whom are Schiller,
Voltaire, and Southey. Chateaubriand says that in her
character are to be found " the simplicity of the peasant,
the weakness of the woman, the inspiration of the saint,
and the courage of the heroine."

It is not less astonishing than true, that not one
effort was made by Charles VII., either by way of ran-
som or reprisal in favour of Joan. According to some
historians, the cavaliers at court were jealous of the
glory of the female warrior ; and the king's favourite,
Agnes Sorel, feared that her youth and devotion would
make too deep an impression on the sensible heart of
the monarch. Twenty-five years after her death, the
king, who doubtless felt remorse for this shameful neglect,
caused the process of her trial to be looked over, when
the judgment was publicly pronounced null, abusive, and
unjust, and two solemn processions were made in Rouen

232 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

as a form of apology ; nevertheless the judges were not
punished, l3ut all those who assisted in her condemnation
died miserably, and two suffered the same execution.

Some writers assert that there existed a mutual affec-
tion between Joan of Ai'c and Charles VII., and that
after his coronation she lived with him as his mistress ;
but there is not the slightest proof that any such inti-
macy existed, and his neglect of her, even before her
capture, is sufficient evidence to the contrary : moreover
he was at that time devoted to Agnes Sorel.

This lady was born in 1409, in the village of Froman-
teau in Touraine, one of the most beautiful provinces in
France, and was daughter to St. Geran, of the family
of the count of Clermont, and of Catherine de Maigne-
lais. Her father most carefully directed her education,
and Isabella of Lorraine, queen of Sicily and duchess
of Anjou, was so much interested in her, that she
appointed her maid of honour.

This queen arrived at the court of France in 1431,
in the hope of obtaining the liberty of her husband,
who was then a prisoner of war : Agnes, who accom-
panied her, was at that time in all the radiance of her
beauty ; her intellectual conversation was as captivating
as the elegance of her form and the sweetness of her
smile; she was called " la belle des belles.''

Isabella of Lorraine engaged Agnes to use her influ-

QUEEN MARY OF AXJOU. 233

ence Tvltli tlie king towards procuiing her husband's
release, and the monarch Avas so pleased with her, as
also was the queen, Mary of Anjou, that the latter, un-
suspicious of the future, entreated the queen of Sicily to
suffer her to enter her service.

The king loaded Agnes's family with gifts and honours,
and his passion for her betrayed itself in the costly pre-
sents of dress and equipages which he made her —
" Comme de porter grands et excessifs atours de robes
fourrees, de colliers d'or, et de pierres pretieuses, et tons
ses autres desirs." She was the first lady not of royal
blood who wore diamonds in France ; hitherto the use
of them had been confined to the queens and princesses
only.

For five years the queen retained Agnes in her service,
daily honouring her willi her affection and favour ; she
appeared to be the only person at court who was igno-
rant of the king's attachment. Charles VII. passed his
days at the chateaux of Loches and Chinons, in the
midst of pleasures and fetes of which she was the orna-
ment. But Agnes, who heard constant reports of the
alarming progress made by the English, felt that the
blame of the king's indolent repose would be attributable
to herself, and determined to rouse him from his lethargy

She used every persuasion which patriotic zeal could
devise to inspire him to action and urge him to glory,
20*

2ai QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

and succeeded in reanimating tlie courage and energy
of the monarch ; who but for her generous efforts, would
have abandoned the siege of Orleans, notwithstanding
he was excited to undertake it by the valiant maid of
Vaucouleurs.

At that time it was customary to have astrologers as
well as fools in the royal palaces, and great faith was
placed in the predictions of those sooth-sayers. The
king one day consulted a celebrated magician respecting
the future fate of his mistress, when he replied that she
was destined for many years to be the object of passion
to a great monarch. Agnes immediately assumed a
grave air, and said, — " Then I must go to the court of
England to accomplish my destiny, sire, for you will
soon lose your crown, and Ilcnry will unite it to his
own."

Many of the courtiers were jealous of the influence she
possessed over the mind of the monarch, and the most
envious of the ladies pitied the queen ; but the people
of France, by universal acclamation, acknowledged that
Agnes Sorel was the instigator of their king's reaction,
and the credit and glory of all Charles VII. 's most
vigorous resolutions are attributed to this favourite.

The following lines are said to have been written by
Francis I., on seeing her portrait: —

QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU. 235

" Gentille Agnes, plus d'honneur tu m^rite,
La cause etant de France recouvrir,
Que ce que peut dedans un cloitre ouvrir,
Clause nonnain, ou bien devot ermite."

The daupliin, Louis XI., -fflio was of a most fierce and
ungovernable disposition, and could not even support
paternal discipline, much less that of the king's mistress,
and who was moreover jealous of the influence she pos-
sessed over his father, launched forth the most bitter
sarcasms against her, and one day, in a warm discussion
at the chateau de Chinon, in the year 1445, struck her ;
Agnes demanded justice for the insult, and Louis was
exiled to Dauphind.

Charles built a beautiful cha.tcau for Agnes Sorel at
Loches, where she frequently resided, it being hor
favourite place of retirement ; she had also another
chateau near Vincennes, called "Beautd," from whicli
she acquired the title of "La Dame de Beautd;" she
was also the Lady of Issondun, and of La Roche-Serviere,
and countess of Penthievre, in consequence of some pos-
sessions which she had in Brittany. All tlicsc and many
others were the gifts of the king.

She was residing at Loches in the year 1449, when
Charles who was still engaged in the war with England,
arrived at Jumieges, a celebrated Norman abbey ; and
Agnes, having heard that a conspiracy had been formed

236 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

against the king, in which the dauphin was concerned,
immediately proceeded thither to warn him to take pre-
caution ; or, as some writers assert, for the purpose of
rekindling the flame which had begun to languish in the
monarch's heart : but the injunctions she gave the king
respecting his safety she neglected herself, and the dau-
phin, in revenge for the punishment she had been the
cause of subjecting him to, contrived to have poison
administered to her, which caused the premature birth
of a daughter, of which she died at Jumieges, in 1449,
aged forty years.

Agnes was very much regretted by the clergy and the
poor, to both of whom she gave abundantly ; when she
felt her end approaching, she assembled around her all
the young ladies of her household, whom she most feel-
ingly exhorted to retain the path of morality and virtue,
and impressed upon their minds the frail and unstable
nature of mere personal advantages — a truth of which
many women, like herself, are not convinced until a late
hour.

She had three daughters, who were legitimatized and
acknowledged by Charles VII., who richly endowed them :
their names were Charlotte, married to Jacques de Br(^ze,
count de Maulevrier, who in a fit of jealousy killed her
with his own hand ; Jane, who espoused Antoine de
Beuil, count de Sancerre, and to whom Louis XI. gave

QUEEN xMARY OF ANJOU. 237

forty thousand gold crowns for her do^ycr ; and Marga-
ret, ^yife of Oliver de Coetivi. Agnes Sorel named
Jacques Coeur, superintendent of finances, and Stephen
Chevalier, treasui'er, her executors. She was interred
in the collegiate church of Loches ; her tomb was placed
in the centre of the choir, which was filled with bronze
and marble tablets covered with inscriptions in her praise.
The canons of Loches basely proposed to Louis XL to
destroy these records ; but that king, whose vengeance
was satisfied, told them that they should first render
back all the benefits and donations they had received
from that lady ; and the tomb existed until the year
1792.

Before the death of Agnes Sorel, Charles VIL took
a lively interest in her cousin, Antoinette de Maignelais,
who was born at his court in 1434. In 1448 he gave
her the lands of Maignelais for a possession, and at the
age of sixteen married her to the Baron de Villequier,
lord chamberlain and dignitary of the crown ; neverthe-
less the king's attachment for her was not less known
than that of her predecessor, whose influence she inhe-
rited.

At her marriage, Charles gave her the islands of 0\6-
ron and Marennes, and in 1458 presented her daughter,
Jane de Maignelais, with eight thousand two hundred
and fifty francs, on the occasion of her union with the

238 QUEEN MARY OF ANJOU.

Sire of Rochefort. Antoinette had also another daugh-
ter ; but neither of them was acknowledged by Charles
yil., her marriage having averted the scandal attending
their birth.

She was a widow at the period of Charles VII.'s death,
which occurred in 1461 ; and, dreading the pitiless rigour
of Louis XI., she retired to the court of the duke of
Brittanj. This prince greatly resembled Charles VII.
in person, and, like him, found much to admire in An-
toinette, who passed the remainder of her days with him,
and died peaceably at his court, after presenting him
with two sons and two daughters.

The queen, Mary of Anjou, is accused by some au-
thors of weakness, in not resenting these infidelities of
her husband ; but Arquetil relates that, when some of
the courtiers remarked the irregular conduct of Charles
VII., she replied, " lie is my lord, and has all power
over my actions, but I have none over his."

Her fierce and rebellious son Louis held her in great
esteem, although he disobeyed her ; and the queen's
foresight and intervention on more than one occasion
prevented him from revolting against the king, who
nevertheless starved himself to death, under the impres-
sion that his unnatural son would poison him.

From the period of her widowhood, which commenced
in 1-461, Mary of Anjou devoted herself entirely to the

QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY. 239

practices of religion, and died, aged fiftj-five, m the year
1463, at the Abbey des Chatelliers, in Poitou, on her
return from a pilgrimage -which she had made to Saint
Jacques in Gallicia. Her body was transported to Saint
Denis.

Mary was the mother of twelve children : — the dau-
phin, who succeeded his father as Louis XI. ; Charles
duke of Normandy, who was poisoned ; and two other
princes who died young : and eight princesses, among
whom were Radegonde, wife of Sigismond, duke of Aus-
tria; Catherine, countess of Charolais; Yolande, wife of
Amddee IX., duke of Savoy; Jane, duchess of Bourbon;
and Madelaine, who married Gaston de Foix, prince of
Viane.

After the death of Charles, Mary resided at Bourges ;
she founded twelve chapels, in which she established
twelve priests, who every hour in the day recited prayers
for the unfaithful husband who had rendered her life a
series of sacrifices, and herself a model of resignation.

QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY.

(Reign of Louis XL)

Margaret, daughter of the first James Stuart, king

240 QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY.

of Scotland, at the age of three years was aiEanced by
treaty, in 1428, to the dauphin Louis, Tvho was then only
eighteen. The marriage was celebrated at Tours, by
the bishop of that town, eight years after the promulga-
tion of the treaty.

This alliance was the result of political considerations,
and Margaret had many difficulties to surmount in her
voyage to France. The English, who foresaw that the
marriage would cement a union between their common
enemies the Scotch and French, endeavoured to prevent
her embarkation. Having failed in the attempt, they
offered the king of Scotland, Rosburg, Berwick, and
several other places, which Jaiues rejected, and they then
sent out a fleet to stop the progress and take possession
of the princess on her way ; but some Flemish vessels,
which they mistook for Margaret's escort, diverted their
attention, and she landed safely at La Rochelle.

The dauphine, whose amiable disposition entitled her
to the affection of her husband, was soon treated by him
with indifference, for, though he respected her merits,
Louis was incapable of a real attachment, being selfish
and narrow-minded.

She is represented as having been clever and intel-
lectual, and possessed great taste for the fine arts, which
she loved and cultivated. It is said that, passing through
one of the rooms of the palace, and seeing Alan Chartier,

QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY. 211

the CorjpIi£8us of the learned of that period, sleeping on
a. bench, she approached and imprinted a kiss upon his
mouth : her attendants expressed their surprise, M'hen
she replied " that it was not the man she kissed, but the
mouth which pronounced such sublime oracles."

Margaret had exceedingly plain features, but her sister
Isabella was very beautiful. The duke of Brittany, who
proposed to marry her to his son, sent ambassadors to
Scotland to see and take back a description of her. They
informed him that she was handsome, upright, and grace-
ful, but that she appeared very simple. "My friends,"
said the duke, "return at once to Scotland, and bring
her here ; she is all that I desire, and I will have no
other: your clever women do more harm than good. By
Saint Nicholas ! I consider a woman sufficiently clever
if she knows the difference between her own robe and
her husband's pourpoint."

The amiable but unfortunate Margaret was the victim
of some court intrigue. She one day overheard herself
ungenerously calumniated by a gentleman of the court,
named James du Tilley, which so sensibly affected her
that she was seriously indisposed in consequence, and
became so weary and disgusted with her existence, that,
on being offered some remedy, she repulsed it, saying,
" Fi de la vie ! qu'on ne me'cn parlc plus "

Margaret died at Chulons-sur-Marne, in 1445, aged

VOL. I.— 21

242 QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY.

twenty years, Avithout having children, or ascending the
throne for which she had been destined. She was
buried in the church of Chalons, and thirty-six years
after her death her ashes were transferred to the abbey
of Thouars, in Poitou, but her tomb was destroyed by
the Protestants.

The dauphin, who during Charles VII.'s reign lived
in disgrace at Dauphin^, and whose confined resources
did not permit him to sustain the dignity of his rank as
hereditary prince, thought it advisable to seek the hand
of Charlotte of Savoy, who had been promised by her
father a dower of six hundred thousand gold crowns.

She was the daughter of Louis II., duke of Savoy,
and of Anne of Cyprus, and was cheerfully accorded to
Louis, to the prejudice of the duke of Saxony, to whom
she had been previously affianced. They were married
at Chambery, in 1451 ; but Charlotte was not a more
happy wife than her predecessor, though she possessed
greater personal advantages. She was intelligent,
modest, and exemplary, but she had not sufficient energy
to moderate and soften the harsh and selfish Louis, who
was considered a cold-hearted tyrant by all women of
sensibility, but who, though he professed a thorough
contempt for the female sex, nevertheless excepted his
wife, Charlotte of Savoy, whom he several times con-
ducted to Orleans, Tours and Paris. On one of her visits

QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY. ^3

to the latter town, it is said that the queen received a
most brilliant welcome ; an elegant boat awaited her, on
board of which a magnificent collation was provided, and
among other refreshments was a stag composed of
sweatmeats, round the neck of which the queen's arms
were suspended.

She landed at the Celestins, wdiere the then customary
performance of the Holy Passion was enacted ; after
which she proceeded on horseback to the palace of
Tournelles, where another grand entertainment was pro-
vided for her.

Louis even at times suffered her to offer advice in the
council, and by her intervention a reconciliation was
effected between the king and the duke of Normandy.
He also enjoined his son to honour the queen, though he
afterwards encouraged him to disobey her.

Notwithstanding Louis XL acknowledged his wife's
merits, he often treated her with great indifference, and
committed many gross infidelities, sometimes even lavish-
ing his attentions on women of mean birth. The obscure
attachments of this disgusting and crafty monarch would
be as well omitted, did not the names of some of his
f^ivourites figure in history. The first was Phelise Re-
nard, by whom he had a daughter called Guyette, who
married Charles de Sillons. She was succeeded by Mar-
garet de Sossenages, daughter of the governor of Dau-

244 QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY.

phine, Henry II., baron of Sossenages, and Antoinette
(le Saluces. At the age of eighteen she was married to
Amblard dc Beaumont, who died shortly after their mar-
riage. On his accession to the throne in tlie year 1446,
Louis conducted her to court, where she died in chikl-
bed with her third daughter, ten years after. jMarga-
ret's three chiklren were pronounced legitimate : they
were, Mary, wife of Aynard de Poitiers, and grand-
mother of the celebrated Diana of Poitiers ; Isabella,
countess of Saint Priest ; and Jane, who married the
Bastard of Bourbon.

When at the court of Burgundy, Louis attached him-
self to Iluguette de Jacquelin, whom he deserted for
Madame Gigou, the widow of a merchant of Lyon, who
had been killed by one of Louis's soldiers. During the
expedition of Picardy, the widoAV appeared before the
king to claim justice for the murder of her husband, and
Louis, unmindful of the calls of generosity, granted her
request upon the condition that she would follow him ;
he, however, deviated from his natural avarice and made
her some presents. On one occasion he ordered a jew-
eller, named Passefilon, to make her a valuable ornament,
which was taken to the king by his wife. The tyrant
compelled her to become his mistress, and, to gratify the
complaisant and dishonoured husband, appointed him to

QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF SAVOY. 245

a parlur.nontary oflice, of wliicli he despoiled some other
person.

Shortly after he lost his son, the Duke de Berri, whora
he had by Huguette de Jacquelin ; and his grief was so
violent on the occasion, that he made a vow to the leaden
image of the Virgin, which was always suspended from
his hat, to attach himself henceforward exclusively to
his wife and queen. Louis married the widow Gigou to
Jean-le-Bon, who afterwards had his eyes put out for
endeavouring to poison him, to serve the duke of Bur-
gundy.

Queen Charlotte offended her husband by her natural
affection for her country. Savoy, as also for her attach-
ment to Burgundy, whose sovereign was Louis's great
enemy. She endured his harsh reproaches with meek-
ness, and unhesitatingly submitted to many privations
to gratify his avaricious disposition. At length this
cruel king confined her in the chateau of Amboise, in a
most miserable state of penury, and allowed her merely
what was absolutely necessary for food and clothing ;
equally ungrateful and forgetful that it was her dower
that had enabled him to enjoy prosperity during his sea-
son of poverty and disgrace. A contemporary historian
says, " Charlotte cut beaucoup ^ souffrir des bizarreries
de son dpoux ; il la tint bien jietitement accompagnde
et mal accoutr^e : aussi, pour la grande crainte qu'ello
21*

246 ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT.

avait de lui, ct pour autros rudesses qvi'il lui faisait sou-
vent, il est bien a croire qu'elle n'avait pas grandes vo-
luptes en sa compagnie."

After a wearisome union of twenty years, the king
died, but Charlotte did not long enjoy her liberty, having
followed him to the tomb at Amboise three months after,
in the year 1483.

This queen had six children: — Charles VIII., who
succeeded his father ; Francis, Joachim, and Louisa, who
died young ; Anne de Beaujeu, who was regent dm-ing
her brother's minority ; and Jane, wife of Louis XII.
Charlotte was buried at Notre-Dame-de-Clery, by the
side of her husband.

ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT.

(Reign of Charles VIII.)

Perhaps the only claim to sincerity that Louis XL
possessed Avas in his attachment to his daughter, Anne
de Beaujeu, who was not less celebrated for beauty than
for her profound genius, sagacity, courage, and political
talents : the sceptre was never wielded with greater
vigour than during her regency.

In 14G1 her father negotiated a marriage for her with

ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT. 247

tlie marquis of Pont-a-Mousson ; but this young noble-
man died suddenly, and Anne became tlie wife of Peter
II., duke of Bourbon and sire of Beaujeu: tbc king
gave her a hundred thousand gold crowns on her mar-
riage.

Peter de Beaujeu was mild and easily governed ; he
had, moreover, so little confidence in his own talents,
that he submitted in all things to his more spirited wife ;
this disposition was most agreeable to Anne, who bore
a great moral resemblance to her father, being artificial,
ambitious, and vindictive, but judicious withal, and capa-
ble of inspiring a lively interest in those whom she was
desirous of making her partisans.

The Sire of Beaujeu's submission and Anne's artifice
so entirely captivated the suspicious mind of Louis XI.,
that they alone were admitted into the chriteau of Plessis-
les-Tours, the gates of which were closed against all
Frenchmen. From the heights of his donjons the dying
despot, 1483, declared his daughter Anne regent, and
guardian to her young brother, Charles VIII. ; to the pre-
judice of his wife, Charles of Savoy, and the princes of
the blood royal, amongst whom the duke of Orleans was
much disappointed at the decision.

Madame do Beaujeu required all the assistance of her
great talents to enable her to preserve this authority,
which was, for the first time, confided to a daughter of

248 ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT.

France. Slie had two rivals to contend with — Louis
duke of Orleans, who was heir to the throne in the event
of Charles VIII. 's death, and her brother-in-law the
duke of Bourbon. If these two princes had united their
interests, Anne would infallibly have lost her power, for
the court and people were equally weary of the insup-
portable yoke of her father, Louis XL, and dreaded her
government, in consequence of the great resemblance
her character bore to his. Nevertheless, by her skilful
management she contrived to maintain her authority.

She first created a division between John of Bourbon
and the duke of Orleans, and these two noblemen, after
becoming enemies, preferred to yield to the princess
rather than to each other. She then proposed to sub-
mit the decision of the regency to the States-General,
and to retain the government confided to her by her
father, provisionally, until the settlement of the question.

During the pei'iod occupied in electing the members
throughout the provinces for the union of the States,
Madame de Beaujeu diligently endeavoured to gain the
esteem of the nobles and people by a moderate govern-
ment. She suppressed many heavy taxes, and released
and recalled many persons unjustly imprisoned and
exiled by her capricious and despotic father. At the
same time she satisfied them, by giving up to public
judgment three ministers, vile agents and intimates of the

ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT. 249

late king, who had abused his confidence, and incited
him to the committal of many crimes, the catalogue of
which was already endless. Olivier le Daine was hanged ;
Dayac was publicly flogged, after which his ears were
cut off and his tongue pierced through ; and John Cottier,
another vampire of the court, and doctor of Louis XI.,
who had amassed immense wealth by imposing on the
monarch's credulity and fear of death, was condemned
to pay an enormous fine, which left him but a modest
subsistence for the rest of his days : so by her wise and
judicious management she gained great popularity.

The young king appeared at the assembly of the
States, at Tours, in 1484, and declared his intention to
follow the counsels of his sister ; and, the States having
approved his decision, Madame de Beaujeu continued to
hold the reins of government, in which she exerted all
her talents, and acted with great policy. She is, how-
ever, reproached with having offered Provence to the
duke of Lorraine, for the purpose of attaching that
skilful general ; but the young king publicly proclaimed
that he never would consent to such mutilation of the
kingdom ; she also committed an error in having
restored Rousillon and Cardagne to Ferdinand-le-
Catholique, king of Spain, although he had not yet
paid the sum of money they had been substituted for.

In order to indemnify tlie duke of Bourbon for his

250 ANNE OF FllANCE, REGENT.

disaiDpointmcnt in regard to the regency, she presented
him with the sword of the constable of France. She
also recalled two meritorious persons who had been
unjustly exiled by her father, Ilonore d'Urfe and Pon-
cet de la Riviere, and reformed numerous abuses.

Madame de Beaujeau was most scrupulous in the
exaction of respect to herself and her authority. Being
one day present when the king and the duke of Orleans
were playing a game of tennis with some other noble-
men, she gave her judgment against the chance of the
duke ; and this prince, naturally passionate, and who
considered his sister-in-laAV his enemy, addressed some
insulting remark to her. This affront, which took place
in the presence of the king, was unpardonable in the
estimation of a woman who discovered an enemy in the
man for whom she had conceived a secret attachment.
She would not venture to arrest the first prince of the
blood royal immediately, but she assembled the council,
and the duke of Orleans, suspecting danger, retired to
the protection of the duke of Alcn^on.

Madame de Bcaujeu, who foresaAV that a civil war
would not only cause much bloodshed, but also compro-
mise her authority, sent confidential messengers offering
him a sincere reconciliation if he would ask her pardon ;
but the duke of Orleans, who placed little confidence in
the promises of an artful and vindictive woman, sent back

ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT. 251

licr agent and strengthened his position. Pie was joined
by the count Dunois, the duke of Bourbon, and other
nobles. Madame de Beaujeu's danger was imminent ; she
assembled troops, and formed two armies: one, command-
ed by Marshal de Gid, she sent to Guyenne, in 1485 ;
the other, under the orders of Monsieur de Graville, she
herself accompanied with the young king to Bourbonnais,
against the duke of Orleans, where her vanity and ambi-
tion triumphed in the absolute submission of the heir to
the throne of France.

In 1486 the Bretons revolted a";ainst their sovereign
duke, or rather against his unworthy minister Landois ;
and the duke of Orleans, profiting by this circumstance,
clandestinely quitted the court and retired to Brittany.
Madame de Beaujeu on this occasion displayed energy
and prudence ; she represented to the duke of Brittany
that in giving an asylum to a rebel prince he was expos-
ing himself to the resentment of France. The duke of
Orleans added to the regent's discontent by oflfering to
divorce his wife, her sister Jane, of France, in order to
marry the heiress of Brittany, to whom he was much
attached. The regent sent troops, who took possession
of several towns in Brittany, and her spirit and courage
were crowned with success in the battle of Saint Aubyn,
in which the duke of Orleans, after performing prodigies
of valour, was taken, prisoner by Louis de la Trcmouille,

252 ANNE OF FRANCE, REGENT.

and confined, by order of Anne, in the great tower of
Bourges, where he remained upwards of three years.
His wife, Jane of France, repeatedly solicited his deli-
verance from Anne de Beaujeu and from the young king ;
the former was inexorable, and the latter so accustomed
to respect his eldest sister's will, that he declined for
some time to interfere, especially as by rendering the
duke his liberty, as the first exercise of his power, he
would be mortifying Madame de Beaujeu. lie was,
however, persuaded by the tears of his youngest sister,
the duchess of Orleans ; and, in order to escape the vigi-
lance of the regent, made a pretext of going to Bourges
with a hunting-party, where he waited in a neighbouring
chateau, while he sent two attendants with directions to
have the doors of the tower opened for the duke of
Orleans. The prince on arriving embraced the knees
of Charles, who afiectionately pressed him in his arms,
and, not content with spending the day with him, insisted
on having a bed placed for him in his own room ; and
from that moment a sincere and lasting friendship existed
between them.

On hearing of this circumstance, Madame de Beaujeu
felt that her authority had expired ; and immediately
wrote a letter to her brother, assuring him that she re-
gretted not the loss of her power, but of his good graces.
The king reassured her in that respect, and proved his

ANNE OF FRANCE, KEGENT. 253

esteem for her bj consulting her on all important affairs.
As the last stroke of policy and power, Madame do
Beaujeu succeeded in marrying the king to Anne, heiress
of Brittany, by which the reunion of Brittany and
France was effected. Charles VIII. had been for some
time affianced to Margaret, daughter of Maximilian I.,
archduke of Austria, and of Mary of Burgundy ; and
although this princess had the title of dauphine, the re-
gent sent her back to her father, and the monarch es-
poused Anne of Brittany in 1491.

After this epoch Madame de Beaujeu gave no fui-ther
advice to the king, excepting on the occasion of his ex-
pedition to Italy, of which she did not approve, and in
the concerns of his private life. When he went to Na-
ples the title and duties of the regency devolved upon
the queen, and Anne resolved to retire to Bourbonnais,
where, surrounded by a numerous suite of ladies and
cavaliers, she lived on her own domains in the greatest
magnificence.

On the accession of the duke of Orleans, under the
title of Louis XII., he never troubled her retreat, but
generously forgot all her severity : some person having
recalled to his memory the wrongs he had received under
the regency, he replied, " Ce n'est pas au Roi de France
a venger les injures faites au Due d'Orl^ans."

Madame de Beaujeu became a widow in 1503, and

VOL, I. — 22

2M QUEEN AND REGENT

died at the chateau of Chantelle, in Bourbonnais, in
1522, aged sixty years. She was buried by the side
of her husband at the priory of Savigny. Iler only
daughter, Susan, was married to the constable of Bour-
bon, who was afterwards celebrated for his defection
under Francis I. ; he was at the head of a sect called
^'' Frondeurs."

Madame de Beaujeu's private character is without
blemish ; her predominant passion having been ambition :
she was often heard to remark that no woman, either in
youth or at an advanced age, had experienced greater
temptations than herself.

QUEEN AND REGENT ANNE OF BRITTANY.

Anne of Dreux was the daughter of the last sovereign
duke of Brittany, Francis II., by whose death she be-
came sole heiress of that duchy. This princess was born
at Nantes in 1476, and, though remarkably tall, was
graceful and beautiful ; she had, however, one leg shorter
than the other, but this defect was hardly perceptible.
Her mother, Margaret de Foix, having no other child,
paid undivided attention to her education, which she
confided to Madame de Laval.

ANNE OF BRITTANY. 255

There were several competitors for her hand, among
whom was Alain d'Albret, father of John, king of Ka-
varre, and seven other children ; but she declined his
assiduities, being only thirteen years of age, whereas he
was upwards of forty ; moreover, she dreaded his nume-
rous family, most of whom were older than herself. The
duke of Orleans was also her suitor ; but the prince of
"Wales, eldest son of Edward IV., king of England, would
have been preferred, had not his premature and violent
death snatched him from his brilliant position. Anne
also refused the count de Rohan, who, notwithstanding
his pretensions to Brittany, adopted this bold device :
'■'■Due ne daigne, roi ne puis, Rohan suis."

The heiress of Brittany had some difficulty in discard-
ing Maximilian of Austria, king of the Romans, who, in
1490, had been solemnly affianced to her in the cathedral
of Nantes, but whom she declared she never would marry
because he had a son older than herself by his first mar-
riage with the duchess of Burgundy, who was kept in a
state of perfect indigence by the avarice of his father
the emperor. Anne was really attached to the duke of
Orleans, who had taken refuge at her father's court when
he revolted against the regent ; but he was already mar-
ried to Charles VIII. 's sister, Jane of France, and, more-
over, was taken prisoner at the battle of Saint Aubyn,
and kept a close captive in the great tower of Bourges,

256 QUEEN AND REGENT

The regent, Madame de Beaujeu, was desirous that
Charles VIII. should marry this princess, who opposed
the union for some time, but at length consented to it,
and Margaret of Austria, who had been affianced to
Charles by the treaty of Arras, and enjoyed the title
of dauphine, was sent back to Austria, as before stated ;
and thus the house of Austria received a double affront
through France. In 1491 she was married to Charles
VIII., at Langeais, in Touraine, and accompanied her
husband to Plessis-les-Tours, where the court was then
held. She afterwards proceeded to Paris, where she
was received with great splendour. The coronation took
place at Saint Denis, in 1492, and during the ceremony
the duke of Orleans supported the crown upon the brow
of the queen whom he so tenderly loved.

The joy on the occasion was universal : Anne was
entitled the queen-duchess, and returned from Saint
Denis to Paris amidst universal acclamations. It was a
popular fete on the occasion of the aggrandizement of
the kingdom, and she at once obtained from the king
the confirmation of the Bretons' privileges. Although
acquainted with her husband's infidelities, Anne was a
tender and affectionate wife ; she both loved and ho-
noured Charles, who has been justly styled the most
honest of men and best of princes.

Amongst the favourites to whom the king attached

ANNE OF BRITTANY. 257

himself were Anna Solieri, -svliom he met during his
campaign in Italy in 1495, and the marchioness Tere-
sina Pallavicini, with whom Charles lived at the little
town of Chieri, during the siege of Navarre, and by
whom he had one daughter, named Camilla, who lived
and died in this retreat.

But the queen's chagrin at these faults in her husband
was not to be compared to that which she experienced
at the death of the dauphin, Charles, her last surviving
child, who expired shortly after the king's return from
Italy ; and the monarch, though deeply afflicted at this
loss, repressed his own grief in order to solace hers.
All the nobles of the court endeavoured to assuage her
sorrow, by diverting her with tournaments and enter-
tainments. The duke of Orleans gave a superb fete at
Amboise, to which all the court were invited, and dis-
played so much magnificence and immoderate gayety,
th:it the jealous courtiers did not fail to observe to the
queen that the dauphin's death rendered the duke of
Orleans a second time heir to the throne ; upon which,
the queen, forgetting her former sentiments for the duke,
conceived so forcible a resentment against him, that she
obtained his dismissal from court, which he never revi-
sited until he was king of France.

After his return from Italy, Charles was a model of
conjugal fidelity ; he was tenderly attached to Anne,

258 ANNE OF BRITTANY.

who lived happily with him until his death, ^Yhich oc-
curred in 1498. The widow of this good and valiant
prince, having lost her four children before her husband,
was obliged to descend from the throne, for which, how-
ever, she was again destined. Until this period the
mourning habit of queens had been white, but Anne of
Brittany adopted the deepest black ; she ordered a mag-
nificent funeral for her husband, and erected a superb
mausoleum to his memory.

During Charles's expedition to Italy she performed
the function of regent with talent and judgment, although
at that time only eighteen years of age ; and when at
his death the administration of the government of Brit-
tany devolved upon her, she willingly applied herself to
it, and promulgated many useful laws.

Anne of Brittany well knew the power she possessed
over the heart of the duke of Orleans, then king under
the title of Louis XII. ; having remarked to her ladies
of honour that " she did not despair of her happiness,
having it in her power to become reigning queen of
France again, if she wished it;" and which in effect she
did; but the regularity of historical relation requires
the remainder of her life to be deferred, Louis XII. 's
first wife, Jane of France, claiming prior attention.

QUEEN JANE OF FRANCE. 259

QUEEX JANE OF FRAXCE.

(Reign of Louis XII.)

The marriage of the duke of Orleans with Jane of
France was a union which was forced by her despotic
father, Louis XL, whose orders none dared to disobey.
Jane was amiable, but exceedingly sensitive, and, being
deformed, she feared to inspire the young prince with
disgust. She was onlv twelve years of age when the
marriage was celebrated, in 1476, and the duke of Or-
leans, who was then but fourteen, secretly protested
against an alliance which he could not refuse, and was
obliged to simulate an attachment which he did not feel,
in order to avoid the resentment of the king. At length
Louis XL's death put an end to this odious slavery, but
the prince did not openly separate from Jane, out of
respect to her brother King Charles VIIL

Nevertheless, this princess was worthy of a better
fate, and omitted none of the duties of a fond wife : she
was sincerely attached to her husband ; and when he
was vanquished at the battle of Saint Aubyn in 1488,
and during his captivity at Bourges, forgetting her own
wrongs, she manifested the greatest tenderness for him,
and never ceased her intercessions for his delivery until
she obtained it.

280 QUEEN JANE OF FRANCE.

Tlie duke of Orleans "was not insensible to these
proofs of goodness and affection, but he was disappointed
at Jane's sterility ; and as he was devotedly attached to
Anne of Brittany, he conceived the project of obtaining
a divorce after the death of Charles, and marrying his
widow, who, though she deplored her husband, admired
and esteemed the duke of Orleans, who had now a
double attraction for her in being master of the crown
of France.

The amiable Jane did not ask that sacrifice at the
hands of her husband which gratitude alone should have
commanded ; and the new king assembled the council,
and explained his motives for dissolving the marriage,
which had been forced by fear with a princess whose
relationship to him was within the degrees prohibited by
the Church, and by whom he despaired of having an
heir to the throne.

Pope Alexander VI. nominated three " bishops to
examine the justice of Louis's demand, and the queen,
when interrogated on these subjects, answered with
firmness and modesty, and generously sacrificed herself
to promote the happiness of the king and husband she
loved.

Garnier, who wrote the continuation of Vely's History,
energetically paints the agony of both during these
proceedings. " Imagine," he says, " a princess educated

QUEEN JANE OF FRANCE. 261

under the shadow of the throne, and accustomed from
her infancy to receive marks of submission and respect,
traduced before the pontiff's commissioners, and in the
position of a supplicant obliged to listen to injurious
and disagreeable suppositions, and to receive formal
declarations of disgust and aversion from the lips of a
husband to whom she was fondly attached ; hardly ven-
turing to give vent to a complaint or suffer her tears to
fall, lest she should give pain to him in whose hands her
fate was. But in this abyss of misery and grief, per-
haps she was less to be pitied than the author of her
woes ; for she had at least the consolation of her inno-
cence, and of that constancy which is inspired by a con-
science pure and without reproach ; whereas Louis, who
was naturally just, what reproaches must not his con-
science have heaped upon him ! What torments must
he not have suffered when, in consequence of an odious
proceeding, he found himself obliged to hear facts,
which should have l)een buried in the shade of silence,
publicly disputed, and, in fine, was reduced in some
measure to profane the majesty of the throne and the
sanctity of matrimony, as well as to prosecute and con-
fuse an innocent princess, his wife and relation, who, far
from deserving his hatred, had been his best friend and
succour in adversity !"

The same historian who traced this touching picture

262 QUEEN JANE OF FRANCE.

expressed his belief tliat, if Louis XII. had foreseen the
extremities to vrhich he would be obliged to proceed, he
would never have suffered the trial to take place.

The judges, who were freed from all scruple bj the
acquiescence of the queen, pronounced the nullity of the
marriage, and Alexander VI., requiring the aid of Louis
XII. in Italy, expedited the bull of divorce, which was
conveyed to the king by Caesar Borgia, a natural son of
the pontiff: Louis presented him with the duchy of
Valence, and the title of duke of Valentinois, for this
service.

The king, who was sensible of the generous sacrifice
Jane had made, gave her the duchy of Berri, and several
other extensive domains, as well as an annuity of twelve
thousand crowns, which was a very considerable sum at
that time. She retired to Bourges, where in 1501 she
founded the convent of the Annonciades, which was a
very austere order of devotees, whose rules she followed,
although she did not adopt the dress. This pious prin-
cess lived six years after her misfortune, — if the renun-
ciation of worldly grandeur for a life of tranquillity can
be so called, — and died in 1505, in the odoui* of sanctity,
at the ag-e of fortv-one. The tomb of this canonized
queen was destroyed by the Huguenots in 1562 ; it had
the reputation of performing miracles while it existed.

QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY. 263

QUEEN ANXE OF BRITTANY.

Faithful to his sentiments of love for Anue of Brit-
tan j, which eleven years had not obliterated, Louis XII.,
after his divorce in 1499, married the beautiful widow,
then twentj-four years of age, who reascended the
throne of France amidst the acclamations of the people.
Some voices were raised against the irregular conduct
of Louis in divorcing a virtuous wife ; but he was king,
and universally beloved, so that these clamours were
easily stopped.

The marriage contract with Louis XIL, which stipu-
lated that if Anne died without children the duchy of
Brittany should retui-n to her own relations, and that
she should reserve the sovereignty of it during her life,
was very unlike that with Charles VIII. Gamier re-
marks that, in the first, it was a sovereign espousing his
vassal, who was obliged to abide by his imperious laws ;
in the second, a queen, who joyfully yielded her hand to
her lover.

The ceremony took place at Nantes, and was attended
with many splendid entertainments. Anne is repre-
sented as having had a most dazzling complexion of snow-
white and carnation ; she was tall and graceful, and
though rather lame, contrived to give an air of majesty

264 QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY.

to her gait. Naturally eloquent, she conversed with
dignity ; her character was lofty and commanding ; but
she was sometimes unjust, vindictive, and self-willed.

Her court was more brilliant than the court of
France had ever hitherto been, and from this epoch a
remarkable revolution took place in the general man-
ners. She set an example of industry to the ladies who
surrounded her, always occupying some part of the day
in embroidery and elegant fancy work, and she vigilantly
observed the conduct of the princesses, so that propriety
and decorum were never more respected than during her
rule.

These inferior occupations did not prevent Anne from
attending to the duties of the kingdom. She invariably
received all foreign princes and ambassadors in the ple-
nary court, with a splendour and dignity that were
renowned throughout Europe.

The excellent Louis XII., so justly styled " the father
of his people," feared to augment their expenses by any
acts of extravagance, having on his accession reduced
the taxes to one-half what they formerly were ; and the
liberalities and favours of the crown were consequently
dispensed by the queen, who bestowed them with dis-
cernment, and drew the greater portion from the reve-
nues of Brittany. After the unprofitable expedition to
Milan, from which the officers returned despoiled of all

QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY. 205

they possessed, she pi'oceecled to the army at Lyon,
where she warmly welcomed the brave and unfortunate
warriors, upon whom she bestowed money and new equi-
pages, and then entreated them in gracious terms to con-
tinue their faithful and precious services to the king.
She also gave out of her own private revenue twelve
vessels of war, which she equipped for the expedition
against the Turks in 1501.

Louis XII., during his expedition to Italy, having
penetrated into Genoa in 1502, the inhabitants enter-
tained him with great ma^-nificence. During these fetes,
in which he was surrounded by numerous Italian ladies
in all their beauty and brilliant attire, he distinguished
the Marchioness Spinola, who was remarkable for her
grace and elegance.

Without considering the power, and above all, the
vindictive disposition of her royal rival, the beautiful
marchioness forsook all the world for the king, who re-
sided with her until his return to France : when quitting
Genoa he made her promise not to follow him, as he
dreaded the consequences of the queen's jealousy and
suspicion. Louis was, however, always the subject of
her thoughts, for when a false report of his death reached
Italy, in consequence of a dangerous illness with which
he was attacked at Blois in 1503, the too sensitive Geno-
ese could not support the unexpected stroke, and she

VOL. I.— 23

266 QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY.

obstinately refused to partake of any nourishment ; but
her death was accelerated by grief before it could take
place by starvation. The king, on receiving the news
of this self-sacrifice, was sensibly touched by so much
ill-placed devotion, and made the poet d'Anthon cele-
brate the constancy of the unfortunate Tomasina, whose
tomb he ornamented with various inscriptions, " en signe
de continuelle souvenir et de spectacle memorable."
This liaison was carefully concealed from the queen, Avho
would otherwise have infallibly manifested her displea-
sure.

During Louis's severe illness at Blois, Anne attended
him day and night with unceasing assiduity ; her grief
was profound, as well as that of all France, for in fact
the life of the king was not more precious to the queen
than to the people. Nevertheless, seeing that his reco-
very was very improbable, her anxiety for him did not
prevent her thinking of herself ; and she had the policy
to conceive the design of going with her daughter Claude
into Brittany ; previous to which undertaking she loaded
several vessels on the Loire with all her valuables. The
Marshal Gid arrested this convoy, and even detained the
queen-duchess herself.

Anne never forgave this affront, but persecuted the
Marshal all her life ; but the king and all France
applauded his patriotic and courageous conduct, which

QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY. 267

prevented the queen from realizing her project of marry-
ing the Princess Claude to Charles of Austria, by which
Brittany would have been united to Spain, whereas it
was Louis's wish that it should continue to be allied to
France by the union of that princess with the count of
Angouleme, afterwards Francis I.

As soon as Louis XII. recovered, Anne, who ought to
have considered the conduct of Marshal Gie, as merito-
rious, and esteemed him for his zeal, was base enough
to revenge herself, and never ceased her importunities
till the king exiled this faithful servant. But that did
not satisfy the queen-duchess, who created most iniqui-
tous accusations against him, traduced him before both
houses of parliament, and obtained a sentence of death
against him. This judgment was, iiowever, loudly pro-
tested against, and the parliament of Toulouse were con-
tent with despoiling the good citizen of his government
for five years.

Another serious fault is attributed to Anne of Brittany.
After the victories gained by the French at Giaradda and
Ravenna, the ambitious pope, Julius II., was reduced to
extremities. Louis XII. could have dictated the most
glorious conditions for France at the gates of Rome, but
the queen suffered her superstitious scruples to be over-
ruled by the artful pontiff, who prevailed on her to exert
her too great influence over the king, by which the con-

268 QEEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY.

queror submitted to the yoke of the vanquished, and a
most disadvantageous treaty Avas concluded in 1513, in
favour of Julius II., who placed France under an inter-
dict, and excepted Bi'ittany.

On the occasion of the council of Pisa, the king, who
was vexed at her interference, said, " Do you consider
yourself wiser than all the heads of the most celebrated
universities, who have approved it ? And has your con-
fessor never told you that women have no voice in the
affairs of the Church ?"

Louis often found in this beloved and cherished wife
a secret and domestic enemy, but he had, fortunately,
sufficient vigour to paralyze her efforts when opposed to
the glory and welfare of France. She even had her own
particular body-guard, composed entirely of Bretons, and
the king suffered this, and many other acts of self-will,
in consideration of her good qualities. She protected
and patronized the learned of her time, and the father
of Clement Marot was created queen's poet, — a creation
she no doubt thought advisable in order to hand her
virtues and graces down to posterity.

The historian Garnier remarks " that she was a ten-
der, complaisant, and submissive wife to Charles VIII.,
Avho appeared to have taken little pains towards attach-
ing her, and who was far less faithful than Louis XII.,

QUEEN ANNE OF BRITTANY. 269

to wliom she was cross, capricious, and hauglitj, and
■vs'liose heart she nevertheless entirely possessed."

Anne erected many religious edifices ; one particu-
larly Avorthy of notice Avas a convent of Cordeliers, so
called " en I'honneur des liens dont le Sauveur du monde
fut garrotte la nuit de sa Passion :" she also manifested
great esteem and veneration for the pious Francis de
Paulo, whom she chose for her son the dauphin's god-
father.

A premature accouchement caused this queen's death,
■which occm-red at the royal residence of Blois, in the
year 151-4, when she was thirty-eight years of age.
The king and Bretons, who deeply regretted her, be-
stowed a magnificent funeral on her remains, which were
exposed for three days on a bed of state, after which
they were transported to St. Denis, and interred beside
her first husband, Charles VIII. By her will her heart
was sent to the Carthusian monastery at Nantes, where
it was received in a golden urn, and placed in the chapel
that was dedicated to the ashes of the dukes of Brittany.
Anne of Brittany had four children by Charles VIII.,
all of whom died before her ; and four by Louis XII.,
but two only survived her : — they were Claude, wife of
Francis I., king of France ; and llen(3e, who married
Hercules II. d'Este, duke of Ferrara. The prayer-book
of this queen is preserved in the royal library at Paris ;

270 QUEEN MAIIY OF ENGLAND.

tlie numerous vignettes it contains are exceedingly
curious.

QUEEN MARY OF ENGLAND.

Although Louis XIL was deeply afSicted at the loss
of his wife, his grief was still more profound at the con-
fused condition of the affairs of the kingdom ; and,
although fifty-three years of age, he determined to se ■
cure peace by a marriage with Mary, sister to Henry
VIIL, king of England, and daughter of Henry VII.
and Elizabeth.

The duke of Longueville, v.ho was a prisoner in Eng-
land, negotiated this marriage between Louis XII. and
Mary, who at the age of sixteen was considered the most
accomplished and intellectual princess of the time. She
was first afiianced to the celebrated Charles Quint, but,
less sensible to the charms of ambition than to those of
love, she had already given her heart to a young English
nobleman, named Charles Brandon, who was first page
to Henry VIIL, and afterwards dignified by his royal
master with the title of duke of Suffolk.

Notwithstanding the king of England was aware of
the reciprocal attachment of these young people, he ac-
corded the hand of his sister to the king of France ; but

QUEEN MARY OF ENGLAND. 271

the splendour of the crown had no charms for Mary,
■\vho shed abundance of tears at the decision. After
having encountered a frightful storm in the Channel,
she landed at Boulogne, where she was received by the
young count d'Angouleme, afterwards Francis I., king
of France, the dukes of Alen^on and Bourbon, and the
counts Vendome, St. Paul, and Guise. Mary's recep-
tion was most brilliant, and the amiable and handsome
young count d'Angouleme was captivated with the lively
and beautiful English princess.

The marriage was celebrated with many splendid fetes
and tournaments, in the year 1514, at Abbeville, where
the king arrived escorted by fifteen hundred gentlemen ;
and the queen confessed herself dazzled and delighted
with the magnificence and chivalry that surrounded her;
but her smile was always directed towards the young
duke of Suffolk, who accompanied her to France in the
quality of ambassador.

Althouo;h related to Louis XII., the count of xin";ou-
leme paid great court to the wife of his father-in-law,
in consequence of which his mother, the countess of
Angouleme, closely watched the actions of the queen,
and was not slow in discovering the attachment between
her and the duke of Suffolk. This caused her great
anxiety, from fear that Mary's love for the duke and
indifference for her husband sliould be the cause of an

272 QUEEN MARY OF ENGLAND.

intimacy 'wliich miglit produce an heir to the kingdom,
and for ever eclipse the hopes of Francis count of An-
gouleme, and heir-presumptive to the throne of France.
The count therefore promised the duke of Suffolk, that
if he would engage faithfully to maintain his respect for
the queen, and preserve her honour, he would assist him
in a secret marriage vrith her after Louis XII. 's death,
and provide them Avith a suitable establishment in France,
if England disapproved of the union : he moreover as-
sured him that his movements were watched, and that
any particular attentions to the queen would infallibly
ruin him. The duke of Suffolk faithfully kept his pro-
mise, and acted with the greatest discretion : neverthe-
less the young queen was never alone ; the baroness
d'Aumont slept in her apartment at night, and the
countess d'Angouleme watched her through the day.

The king, though weak and declining, gave many
splendid fetes for the entertainment of his young wife,
and to gratify her changed his manner of living. A
contemporary author says, " He was always accustomed
to dine at eight o'clock, whereas now he dines at twelve ;
and instead of retiring to rest at six o'clock in the
evening, he frequently remains up until midnight."

Louis XII. died two months after his marriage, and
i\Iary, not being pregnant, was in 1515 obliged to
cede tlie throne to the princess who had so carefully

LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT. 273

watched her conduct. Three months after, Francis I.,
true to his promise, had the marriage celebrated between
Mary and the duke of Suffolk, which her brother Henry
VIIL approved, notwithstanding their violation of the
usual forms ; and, shortly after, the union was again
solemnized in England.

The duchess died at the age of thirty- seven, in the
year 1534, having left one daughter, who was mother to
the unfortunate lady Jane Grey.

LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT.

(Reign of Francis I.)

This princess was the daughter of Philip II., duke of
Savoy, and of Margaret of Bourbon, and was born at
Pont d'Ain in 1476. Louisa was only twelve years of
age when she married Charles d' Orleans, count of
Angouleme, to whom she brought a dower of thirty-
five thousand livi'es.

She was obliged to conform to the will of Louis XL,
and the taste of her husband, who loved retirement, and
with whom she lived in the chateau de Cognac, whore
she nourished the germs of ambition in the hope that
she would one day have an opportunity of developing

274 LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT.

tliem. She had at that time no society but the few
noble families who resided in the environs ; and her
only pleasure consisted in equestrian exercises and the
chase : her elegant horsemanship was the admiration of
all the surrounding country.

At the age of twenty Louisa of Savoy was a widow,
and the mother of two children, — one was Francis I. ;
the other Margaret, afterwards queen of Navarre, whose
education she carefully attended, notwithstanding her
youth,

Charles VIII., whose court was at Amboise, invited
her there, and the countess d'Angouleme hastened to
quit Cognac, and appear in all the brilliancy of her
youth and splendour. After Charles VIII. 's death,
Louis XII. also, who had lost both his sons, welcomed
this princess as the mother of the heir-presumptive. All
these honours irritated Anne of Brittany, who treated
the countess of Angouleme as a subject, whereas she
wished to live on those terms of familiarity which are
natural between two mothers whose children are affi-
anced. In consequence of this, Anne hated Louisa ;
for Anne, although queen, had no male posterity, and
might soon lose her crown, whereas Louisa, who was
only a countess, had a son who was heir-presumptive to
the throne.

Alth.ough these two women could with difficulty main-

LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT. 275

tain the exterior forms of politeness, yet Anne, when
dying, named Louisa the guardian of her daughter, who
espoused the count of Angoulgme three months Ifter,
in the year 1514.

Mary of Enghand, who was far less ambitious than
her predecessor, treated the countess d'AngoulSrae with
more politeness and attention, although she so vigilantly
spied the actions of that queen. At length the death
of Louis XIL raised Francis L to the throne, and the
countess d'AngoulC^me's ambition and love of show were
gratified by her being admitted into the councils, and
dignified with the title of duchess, as well as enriched
by the possession of vast domains: she shared the
government with her son, whose confidence in her was
unbounded.

On leaving France for the expedition to Italy in 1515,
Francis placed the reins of government in the hands of
his mother, to the prejudice of the queen, whose youth
^as the pretext for this unjust preference ; Claude might,
however, if aided by upright councillors, have avoided
the faults which her mother-in-law committed, notwith-
standing her talents. The regent's avidity and extra-
vagance caused the loss of Milan; for in the reign of
Louis XIL this conquered country had been tr^eated
with humanity and moderation, and the garrisons were
regularly paid; but afterwards the money was not forth-

276 LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT.

coming, and the Swiss, no longer receiving their due,
abandoned the French, who were obliired to resign their
conquest. Jacques de Baulne, lord of Samblancaj, the
superintendent of finances, had promised the army four
hundred thousand crowns, which the regent persuaded
him to give up to her, to disburse the expenses of her
mad prodigalities.

When Francis I. examined into the source of these
disorders, Madame d'Angouleme first contrived to obtain
the receipts she had given Samblancay from the com-
missioners, in whose hands they had been placed ; and
afterwards denied that she had ever received any sums
of money from the superintendent of finance. This
minister, who could not sustain his protestations for want
of proofs, was condemned to be hanged ; and the duchess
of Angouleme had the barbarity to suff'er the innocent
to perish for her fault. The old lord of Samblancay,
who had served under three kings, walked with intrepidity
to the gibbet of Montfaucon, on which he breathed his
last.

The duchess's love of coquetry and her pretensions to
beauty, although forty-four years of age, produced still
more direful consequences. In 1521 she became captivated
with the young count de Montpensier Boui-bon, constable
of France, and adopted a thousand manoeuvres to attach
him to her. The constable, instead of encouragincr her

LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT. 277

advances, treated tliem with, disdain, and the regent, as
a last effort, offered him her hand. This was a brilliant
proposal for the count of Bourbon, as by accepting
it he would have been father-in-law to the king, and
also have acquired immense power ; nevertheless he
refused it with terms of insulting raillery ; for he had
always professed the greatest antipathy to Francis I., as
well as to the duchess of Angouleme, who was fifteen
years older than himself: moreover, he was attached to
Margaret de Valois, afterwards queen of Navarre, who
was styled at court the tenth muse and fourth Grace, on
account of her eleoiant form and beautiful features.

Finding herself despised by the man she hoped to win,
the outraged regent was determined to be revenged, and
immediately commenced proceedings for despoiling the
constable of the wealth and possessions of his late wife,
Susan de Bourbon, daughter of Madame de Beaujeu.
The chanceller Duprat undertook the cause, and the pro-
cess lasted seven months, during which time the duchess,
who neglected nothing that could injure her enemy, placed
all his lands under sequestration. In 1523 he was
deprived of the vanguard of the army and of the govern-
ment of Milan ; and in a fit of desperation abandoned
his king, betrayed his country, and sullied his sword and
name by the fatal resolution he made to place himself

at the head of the enemy's army : when fighting against
VOL. L— 24

278 LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT.

Francis I., at the battle of Pavia, he took his king
prisoner.

Francis I., on -vrriting this sad news to his mother,
who was the author of these troubles, commenced his let-
ter with these words : " Tout est perdu, hors rhonneur."""
She was accused bj the whole nation of having been the
cause of Bourbon's defection, of having abused the power
confided in her, and ruined the fortune of France.

Louisa endeavoured by most diligent exertions to re-
pair all these evils. During her son's captivity at Pizzi-
ghitone, she negotiated with England so skilfully and
successfully, that she contrived to detach that country
from the emperor, Charles Quint, and procure its alliance
with France by a secret treaty. She gained over Pope
Clement VII. and the Venitians to her interests ; and
after providing for the security of the frontiers of the
kingdom, and stirring up the whole of Europe against
Charles Quint, she wrote him to stipulate for the freedom
of her son.

The greatest eulogy is due to the duchess d'Angouleme
for the energy and talent she displayed under the diffi-
cult circumstances with which she had to contend ; but
it would have been far more laudable for her to have
reflected upon the danger she was incurring, and the
evils she was likely to produce, by her persecution of

LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT. 279

the first captain in Europe, and T»y tliat means have
avoided them. .

At length Charles Quint offered Francis I. the choice*
of receiving as hostages all the bravest cavaliers of
France, or the two young princes ; and Madame d'An-
gouleme's decision does her great honour, in having
turned a deaf ear to the sentiments of nature, and pre-
ferred preserving all the most illustrious and skilful
generals for the good of the country. In 1526 the
treaty of Madrid, which rendered Francis I. his liberty,
was concluded, and the regent herself conducted her
two grandsons to Andaye, to answer as hostages for
their father's fidelity to his engagements.

Although the regency terminated on the return of the
king, Madame d'Angouleme preserved great influence
in the administration, and unceasingly endeavoured to
restore peace to the exhausted country. Francis I. gave
her full power to treat with Margaret of Austria for a
peace with the Low Countries ; the conference took place
at Cambrai in 1529, and the foundation of the agreement
was the liberty of the young princes.

These two princesses made their entry into Cambrai
the same day with great pomp, and signed the treaty
known by the- name of the "traits des dames;" which,
although not very advantageous to France, does some
credit to the regent, who had the gratification of receiv-

•230 LOUISA OF SAVOY, REGENT.

ing in person her two grandsons at Fontarabia, and
seeing calm restored to France.

The duchess of Angouleme was attacked with the
plague shortly after, at Fontainebleau, where she went
to inspect the works of a castle which the king was
building. She, however, temporarily recovered, and
wishing to fly from further infection, took the road to
Blois, but was stopped at Grez, in Gatinais, by indispo-
sition from its effects. The appearance of a comet filled
her with terror, having always experienced a great dread
of death, and being persuaded that this meteor announced
the approach of her end, which occurred three days after,
at the age of fifty-five, in the year 1531.

Her remains were interred with great magnificence
and solemnity at Saint Denis.

In her coffers were found after her death, the enor-
mous sum of fifteen hundred thousand gold crowns, which
would more than have sufiiced for the ransom of the
king. The journal of her life has been published ; it
does not, however, contain anything of interest, being
merely notes of a domestic nature concerning herself
and her children.

The contemporary writers, whom Louisa patronized,
offer many apologies for her, notwithstanding her super-
stitions and faults ; but although more modern and dis-
interested authors do justice to her talents, they cannot

QUEEN CLAUDE OF FRANCE. 281-

pardon her odious *t'reacliei'j to Samblancay, nor her
treatment of the count of Bourbon, by which she sacri-
ficed the public interest to gratify her ambition and ven-
creance.

QUEEN GLAUDE OF FRANCE.

This princess was born at Romarantin in 1499, and
affianced to the count of Angouleme at Plessis-les-Tours
in 1506 ; she was married to him at the age of fifteen,
in the year 1514, at Saint Germain-en-Laye. Although
endowed with the amiable qualities of her father, Louis
XII., Claude had neither the talent nor energy of her
mother, Anne of Brittany. She was unfortunate in
having an inconstant husband, whom she tenderly loved,
and an imperious mother-in-law in the regent, Louisa of '
Savoy ; but her patience and gentleness enabled her to
endure the humiliation of her self-love, and her domestic
griefs, with resignation and dignity.

She was educated in a virtuous court under the scru-
pulous eye of her mother, and Avas remarkable for her
piety and sweetness of temper, by which she obtained
the appellation of "la bonne reine." But nature was
not bountiful to her in physical gifts, having been of short

24*

282 QUEEN CLAUDE OF FRANCE.

stature, and in a slight degree lame ; but though far from
handsome, the expression of goodness dwelt upon her
countenance.

Anne of Brittany, who appreciated tlie excellent
qualities of her daughter, was fearful that the count of
Angouleme would not render her happy, and endeavoured
to dissuade Louis XII. from consenting to the union. She
was desirous that Claude, in accordance with the agree-
ment in the treaty of Blois, should marry the grandson
of Ferdinand of Arragon ; but the French protested
against that alliance, because the princess's dower con-
sisted of the provinces of Brittany, which would have been
separated from France by a foreign union, in consequence
of which these political considerations instigated Louis
XIL to give his consent, hoping that the young count
would at least value Claude for her virtues and merits.

Although .the queen was treated with indifference by
her husband and the regent, she experienced great con-
solation in the sincere homage which the nation rendered
to her estimable qualities. In 1525 she was attacked
with a dangerous malady, of which she died at the age
of twenty-five, and was buried in the royal sepulchre of
Saint Denis.

Claude had seven children, four of whom were girls ;
she was the mother of the dauphin, Francis, who was
poisoned at Valence in 1536 ; Henry II., king of France :

QUEEN ELEOXOR OF AUSTRIA. 283

Charles, duke of Orleans ; Madeline, -wife of James V.,
king of Scotland ; and Margaret, who married Philibert
Emmanuel, duke of Savoy : the other two died young.

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA.

The treaty of Madrid in 1526 gave the. eldest
bister of the rcdouhtahlc Charles Quint to Francis L,
but the engagement was not ratified until after the treaty
of Cambrai, in 1529, which restored peace to France.

Eleonor was the daughter of Philip le Beau, archduke
of Austria, and of Jane la Folle, who, being left a
widow at the age of twenty-six by a husband whom she
adored, was so violently affected at his death that she
lost her reason, and during the space of forty-four
years languished in the most profound misery, forsaken
and neglected by all.

Her daughter Eleonor was born at Louvain in the
Low Countries in 1498, and gifted with all the most
brilliant endowments of nature. A contemporary author,
who saw her, describes her as having laughing eyes,
with eyebrows of fine black ; a complexion of lilies and
roses, small ivory teeth, a delicately formed mouth, and
a mellifluous voice. In 1514, Frederick II., brother of

284 QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA.

the elector palatine, who was at the court of Charles
Qumt, became greatly enamoured of her, and the prin-
cess responded to his affection, "vvhich, though the
attachment Nvas kept very secret, nevertheless reached
the ears of the emperor.

One day Eleonor having received an affectionate
billet, the politic Charles Quint entered her apartment,
unannounced, and wrested it from her hand before she
had time to conceal it. The irritated monarch would
have arrested Frederick had not the laws of hospitality
prevented him ; he, however, gave him an order to quit
the court, and Eleonor's marriage with the old kinor of
Portugal was decided. In 1519 the princess was united
to her infirm husband, who left her a widow with two
children in 1521.

On her return to the court of Spain, Prince Frederick
again renewed his attentions to Eleonor in the hope of
obtaining her hand and heart ; but the young queen,
having tasted the pleasures of the throne, and attaching
invaluable charms to the possession of a crown, refused
him. Her brother promised her hand to the constable
of Bourbon as the price of his services ; but, whether
that prince was indifferent respecting the promised
recompense, or that Charles Quint, as was his usual
habit, failed to keep, his word, is uncertain, but Eleonor,
who acquiesced in all her brother's ambitious views, gra-

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 235

ciously accepted the hand of Francis I, During his
imprisonment at Madrid the princess was delighted with
the amiable and chivalric manners of her future husband,
whose captivity she contributed to soften, as also that
of the young princes who were sent as hostages. The
marriage was celebrated at the abbey of Vegres, near
Bordeaux, in 1530.

Eleonor loved France, and was delighted with the
brilliant welcome she received : after partaking of the
many elegant entertainments which were provided for
her in the different towns through which she passed, she
at length entered Paris, and was crowned at Saint Denis
in 1531.

The suavity of her manners and goodness of her heart
rendered her the cherished idol of the court and people ;
but she was as unfortunate as her predecessor, Claude,
in the infidelities of her husband, who neglected her for
the Duchess d'Etampes. The queen sensibly felt her
husband's neglect, and even complained to her former
lover, Frederick II., count palatine, who was at the
court of France, and whom she made the confidant of
her domestic troubles.

During the life of Claude, Francis I. had several ob-
scure attachments, amongst whom Avere "la belle Fer-
roniere," who was so called because her husband traf-
ficked in iron. That king nevertheless encouraged the

286 QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRM.

cultivation of the arts-and belles lettres, and patronized
the learned whom he had brought vrith him from Italy.
His court was brilliant with the luxury and . gayety in-
troduced by the ladies; halls and fetes, ef which Francis
I. was particularly fond, succeeded the more grave and
imposing tournaments ; and when he visited the resi-
dences of Madrid, Chambord, and Fontainebleau, he
was accompanied by a society of the most beautiful
ladies at court.

Some authors assert that amongst his favourites was
the celebrated Anne Boleyn, granddaughter to the duke
of Norfolk, and maid of honour to queen Claude. An
ancient writer says, " Cette jeune demoiselle dtait belle,
spirituelle,- et d'une aimable vivacitd; mais, dans un
age aussi tendre, fort d^bauch^e en sa conduite." But
this assertion is equally doubtful and uncharitable, for
when, after her marriage with Henry VIII. at West-
minster in 1536, she was condemned to be beheaded,
Anne -Boleyn was not accused, in the process of her
trial, of any indiscretion during her service at the court
of Erancis I.

In one of the brilliant entertainments of which he t\ as
so fond, the king was captivated with Frances de Foix,
who was born in Brittany in 1495, and descended from
a house not less noble than that of the royal family, but
deprived of all fortune by the existence of three elder

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 2S7

brothers. At the age of t^velve years she was bestowed
in marriage on John de Montraorenci Laval, count of
Chiiteaubriant.

At this inexperienced age the young victim was con-
ducted by a jealous husband to an old chateau, where
they lived together for seven years, isolated from all
tlie world, and during that space of time the young
countess was permitted to see none but her husband and
attendants. Nevertheless the report of her beauty
reached the court, where business of great importance
obliged Monsieur de Chfiteaubriant to appear in 1515.
He left the countess in Brittany, and the king did not
fail to reproach him for his inhumanity in confining his
young wife in a lonely place apart from all society.
The count protested in vain that she hated the world,
and was devoted to retirement. Francis I. insisted that
it was unnatural and impossible ; and Monsieur de Cha-
tcaubriant, imagining that his submission to the king
would forward his own views, conducted his Avife to
court.

At the very first entertainment in which she appeared,
the fears of the unhappy husband were aroused, for she
made so forcible an impression on the heart of the king
that the count became at once the victim of jealousy,
which, in the sequel, proved to be but too well founded.
The young countess, proud of a virtue which had never

288 QUEEN ELEOXOR OF AUSTRIA.

yet been attacked, placed too much reliance on her 0A\n
strength and constancy, and fell before the tempter ;
her husband, in a transport of rage, refused the digni-
ties offered him by Francis I., abandoned his process,
the court, and his wife, now no longer his, and retired
to Brittany. Madame de Chateaubriant's two brothers,
Odct-de-Foix de Lantree and Thomas-de-Foix de Lescun,
more tractable, were appointed marshals of France, and
the eldest, by his unskilful conduct, caused the defeat at
the battle of Pavia.

During the expedition of Francis I. to Italy, his mo-
ther, the regent, neglected no opportunity of humiliating
the countess, who, unhappy and ill used, on hearing of
the defeat and captivity of the king, the death of her
eldest brother at the battle of Pavia, and the imprison-
ment of the other two, one at Guyenne and the other at
Navarre, felt herself without a protector, and addressed
a respectful letter to her husband, entreating permission
to return to him. Monseur de Chateaubriant received
her, but subjected her to a more wearisome imprisonment
than before. He refused to see his repentant wife, and
confined her in a tower, the room of which was hung
round with black, to which he daily sent her the coarsest
food.

In 1526 Francis I. returned to France, and the count,
fearing he would recall Madame de Chateaubriant to the

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 289

court, entered the tower with some hired assassins, and
announced to her that she must die. The young victim,
weary of a captivity which was far more terrible to her
than death, cheerfully suffered her veins to be opened,
and died without uttering a complaint, in 1527.

The king was greatly irritated at this cold-hearted and
atrocious deed, but the vindictive husband took refuge
in England, and before many months had expired the
charms of Mademoiselle de Heilly enabled Francis I. to
forget the unfortunate Countess de Chateaubriant. She
was buried in the church of the Mathurins de Chateau-
briant, where a magnificent tomb was erected to her
memory. She had no children.

The most celebrated of all Francis I.'s favourites w\as
Anne de Pisseleu de Heilly, a grand-daughter of the
house of Dreux, issue of blood-royal, and daughter of
tbe Lord of Meudon, commandant of a hundred men-at-
arms. She was born in Picardy in 1508, and admitted
into the service of Louisa of Savoy, duchess d'Angou-
leme, in the quality of maid of honour. She accom-
panied this princess, when at Mont-de-Marsan, to the
meeting of the king after he w'as set at liberty in 1526.
Francis I. was much captivated with Mademoiselle de
Heilly, who was then eighteen years of age, and united
a beautiful person to an intellectual mind: these ad van •

VOL. I. — 25

290 QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA.

tages gained for her the appellation of " la plus savante
des belles, et la plus belle des savantes."

The king made a declaration of love to her in verse,
and the young lady, either from love or ambition,
responded to the sentiments he expressed. Francis I.
built a magnificent hotel for her in the Hue de I'lliron-
delle, near the Pont St. Michel, at Paris, and ornamented
it M'ith a variety of courtly devices, a style much in vogue at
that period. He also provided her "with a husband, to give
her a less equivocal character at court. This person was a
ruined gentleman, named John de Brosse, to whom she was
married in 1527, and who received the government of
Brittany and the duchy d'Etampes, as the price of his com-
plaisance ; this union did not, however, change the posi-
tion of the duchess, Avho remained in high favour at court,
far away from her infamous husband, who was despatched
to attend his duties in Brittany.

The duchess d'Etampes received universal homage ; all
favours were obtained through her, and she participated
in the affairs of government. She wisely made friends
with the constable Montmorenci, admiral Chabot, and
the chancellor Duprat, — three ministers who were at the
holm of affairs, and to whom she was as necessary as
tliey were to her.

Her father, William do Pisscleu, had three wives and
thirty children, and the duchess did not fail to make use of

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 291

her influence in their favour, while in her elevated post.
The first ecclesiastical dignities Avere bestowed on her
brothers ; two of her sisters were provided with wealthy
abbeys, and the others were united to the first houses in
the kingdom. She also protected and encouraged the
learned in conjunction with Francis I.'s sister, the queen
of Navarre, who entertained great friendship for her.

Surrounded as she was with admirers who did homage
to her beauty and talent, courted for the poAver and
influence she maintained in her brilliant situation, and
intoxicated with the felicity which the possession of the
king's love bestowed on her, the duchess might, perhaps,
have enjoyed a temporary happiness, had it not been for
the rivalry which existed between her and the celebrated
Diana of Poitiers, favourite of the dauphin, afterwards
Henry II.

These tvro reigning beauties hated each other ; the
one sighed for the grandeur and power which the other
possessed. Diana was older than the duchess d'Etampes,
but her great beauty and intriguing spirit placed her on
a level with the woman whom she aspired towards
replacing. Their mutual dislike was the constant topic
at court, and more than once France had nearly been
the victim of their dissensions.

The duchess d'Etampes invariably endeavoured to
make Diana of Poitiers feci the advantages she herself

292 QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA.

possessed in reigning young, and took pleasure in
repeating that she was born the same day that Diana
was married ; the latter revenged herself by petty
intrigues to undermine her in the king's favour, but her
efforts were fruitless.

When Charles Quint visited Paris in 1540, the duchess
d'Etampes declared in open council that the emperor
invariably broke his word, and was therefore not to be
trusted ; and she advised the king to detain him prisoner
until he had fulfilled his enrragements with France.
Francis greatly admired the foresight of his favourite,
but was too generous and hospitable to yield to her pro-
posals. The king, on presenting the duchess d'Etampes
to the emperor, said, " Voycz vous, mon frere, cette belle
dame ? Elle est d'avis que je ne vous laisse pas sortir
de Paris que vous n'aycz revoqud le traitd de Madrid."
The emperor frowned, and replied coldly, " Si I'avis est
bon, it faut le suivre ;" and from that time Charles
Quint made every eifort to gain the heart of the duchess.

One day the favourite, according to the usual cere-
mony, presented him the towel after washing his hands,
previous to seating himself at table, when Charles Quint
purposely dropped a diamond ring of immense value ;
the duchess picked it up and presented it to him, when
he gallantly replied, " Gardez-le ; je suis trop heureux
d'avoir I'occasion d'orner unc si belle main." The

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 293

ducliess was constrained to accept the gift, but slie was
none tlie less faithful to Francis I., to whom she inces-
santly complained of the perfidious projects of the em-
peror.

It has, however, been said that, out of ill-will to Diana
of Poitiers, she conspired with the Marshal d'Aunebaut
to prevent the success of the dauphin's expedition against
the Spaniards, and by that means betrayed her country,
from petty and dishonourable motives. And a short
time after this event the same envious wish to injure
Diana in the person of the dauphin, and the hope of
obtaining an asylum with the emperor in the event of
the king's death, induced the duchess to perform an act
of great perfidy, as, in 1544, she sold the secrets of the
state to Henry VIII. of England and Charles Quint, for
the iniquitous promise they made her to elevate the duke
of Orleans to the throne, to the detriment of his' brother
the dauphin. She also, with the same view, secretly
advised with the forces of the dauphin's enemies who
besieged Perpignan, and obliged the prince to blockade
that place.

In fact, the enmity of these two women caused the
taking of the principal towns in France, the scattering
of the army for the security of the capital, towards
which the enemy made rapid advances, the loss of many
gallant officers, and the ignominious treaty of-Cressy ;
25*

294 QUEEN ELEOXOR OF AUSTRIA.

all wliicli disasters were the result of tlie criminal reve-
lations made to Charles Quint hy the duchess d'Etampes'
agent, the count de Bassut.

The kinor crrew both melancholy and morose before his
death ; nevertheless, neither the numerous faults which
she committed, nor time, which destroys all things, ever
weakened his love for the duchess, who lived with him
for twenty years.

At length his death, which occurred in 1547, put a
term to the brilliant fortune of the favourite, who was
neglected by those she had loaded with favours, haughtily
attacked by her enemies, and without resources or pro-
tection obliged to give place to her rival, to whose
vengeance she was exposed, and who, it may be almost
said, mounted the throne with Henry II.

Her husband, of whom she had never taken any
notice, refused to receive her : the proud mistress of
Francis I., in this critical position, refused to bend the
knee to the favourite of Henry II. ; and the triumphant
duchess of Yalentinois astonished all France by dis-
daining to ill-treat her fallen rival, whom she left at
liberty to retire to a beautiful country residence, where
the duchess d'Etampes spent her latter years in solacing
and protecting the followers of the Protestant religion,
whose faith she had secretly embraced.

She quitted the court at the age of forty-four, and

QUEEN ELEONOR OF AUSTRIA. 295

lived in sucli strict retirement until her death, that the
circumstances attending it, and the exact period, are
unknown ; it is, however, certain that she was living in
the year 1575, when she was sixty-seven years of age.

While Francis I. was devoting himself to the pleasures
of the court and the enjoyment of the duchess d'Etampes'
society, the neglected queen, Eleonor of Austria, was
earnestly endeavoui-ing to establish peace between
France and Spain, and, as far as lay in her power,
frustrated the mischievous policy of the duchess, by
attempting to inspire her powerful brother, Charles
Quint, with more equitable and honourable sentiments.
But the opposing influence of the favourite left her an
inferior part to perform, and she chiefly occupied herself
with religious duties, substituting hunting and fishing as
an occasional diversion.

After the death of the hing, Eleonor, Avho had no
children, left France and retired to join her brother in
Brabant. In 1556 she left the Low Countries for Spain,
where she died at Talavera in 1558, aged sixty years.
Eleonor was interred at the Escurial.

2.>3 QUEEN AND REGENT

QUEEN AND REGENT CATHERINE DE MEDI-
CIS.— DIANA OF POITIERS.

(Reign of Ileury II.)

Grandniece of Leo X., and onlj daughter of Laurent
de Medicis, duke d'Urbin, and of Madeleine de la Tour
d'Auvergne-Lauraquais, Catherine de Medicis was born
at Florence in 1519, and educated in the bosom of her
family, who governed that country with much celebrity.

On her marriage with the young duke of Orleans,
afterwards Henry IL, in 1533, her uncle, Pope Clement
VIL, conducted her himself to Marseilles, where the
ceremony was performed, and presented her on the occa-
sion with a dower of three hundred thousand crowns.

This queen is equally celebrated for her talents and
her crimes. Her ambitious and worldly-minded uncle,
the pontiff, on taking leave of her after her marriage,
gave her this express recommendation, — '•^ fa fgliiioli ;"
and Catherine followed his counsel, for the constable de
Montmorenci often remarked that Henry IL had but
one daughter who resembled him, which was his natural
daughter, Diana d'Angouleme.

Oil her arrival in France Catherine was received by
the king, Francis L, and Eleonor of Austria, attended
by a most brilliant court, amongst whom were the duchess
d'Etampes and Diana of Poitiers ; but, beautiful as the

CATIIEFJNr. DH MEDICLS. 297

ladies who composed this court were, Catherine outshone
them all, not only by the loveliness of her features and
the dazzling whiteness of her complexion, but also by
the elegance of her movements, her form being exceed-
ingly majestic, though not tall. Her countenance most
deceitfully expressed the feelings of a gentle and sensi-
tive heart ; skilful in displaying her attractions, at the
tender age of fourteen, she exaggerated by artificial aid
the advantages with which nature had adorned her.

During the first year of her marriage the young prin-
cess politically avoided all appearance of ambition, in a
court already occupied by the two rivals Diana of Poitiers
and the duchess d'Etampes, with both of whom she con-
trived to live in the greatest harmony. She also dis-
played great tenderness for Francis I., who, gratified by
the amiable manners and agreeable conversation of his
daughter-in-law, frequently remarked that she was made
to command. The king was fond of the chase, and
Catherine affected a passion for that species of amuse-
ment, by which she repeatedly met with serious accidents.
She was skilled in archery and rode gracefully ; it was
this princess who invented pommelled saddles : she was
excessively fond of dancing, and excelled in ballets.
By these trifling diversions Catherine deceived the gene-
ral opinion, which at that time gave her no credit for
more than onlinarv talent ; nevertheless she observed

298 QUEEN AND REGENT

all, studied politics, traced her future plans, and thus, by
great sacrifices and perseverance, erected the edifice of
her power.

The dauphin, Francis, having been poisoned in 153G,
as some historians assert, through Catherine's means,
the young duke of Orleans became heir to the throne,
and, as he had no children by Catherine, was desirous
of divorcing her ; he could not, however, perform this
act without the king's acquiescence, and Francis, who
was much attached to his daughter-in-law, warmly
opposed it. Henry's mistress, Diana of Poitiers, also
exerted her influence to prevent the rupture of this mar-
riage, as she felt flattered by the princess's regard for
her, and feared that another wife might treat her dif-
ferently.

"When the death of the king raised her husband to the
throne, the queen pursued the same line of conduct, dis-
simulating her ambitious taste for governing, and only
studious to render herself popular by her complaisant
manners. Perhaps Henry II. discovered the haughty
and violent soul of his queen beneath her gentle exterior,
for she possessed no authority, having only the title of
queen, whereas the duchess of Valentinois was virtually so.

She was crowned at St. Denis, by the cardinal de
Bourbon, archbishop of Sens, and made a solemn
entry into Paris, accompanied by twelve duchesses,

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 299

amongst whom ■\vcre Diana d'Angoulemc, Henry's natu-
ral daugliter.

However, in 1552, when the king quitted France for
liis expedition to Germany, he left the regency to the
queen, who performed nothing worthy of notice beyond
conciliating all hearts in order to commence more
securely her career of intrigue and crime when she should
become mistress of absolute power. A celebrated his-
torian says, " Catherine de Medicis contrived to obtain
great popularity, and by her artfulness and profound
dissimulation became the head of a large party of fol-
lowers, caressing the king's favourite, whom she detested ;
flattering the pride of the constable by continually asking
his advice, although she considered him her greatest
enemy ; and hesitating at nothing in order to attain her
end."

Until the death of Henry II. there was nothing re-
markable in the character of this queen beyond the
voluntary favaurs she bestowed upon her husband's fa-
vourite, who was twenty years older than herself. Al-
though bigotry was at that time much in vogue, she was
but a lukewarm Catholic, and never assisted at any of
the religious processions until she had procured the best
singers and musicians from Italy to compose her chapel ;
nevertheless, under the pretext of zeal for her faith, she
counselled and directed the massacre of St, Bartholomew.

300 QUEEN AND REGENT

Henry II., who was killed by the count of Montgo-
meri at a tournament in honour of the marriage of his
daughter Elizabeth with Philip II., king of Spain, left
the regency to his widow, with whom he had lived twen-
ty-five years, and who, after ten years of sterility, had
ten children, three of Avhom were successively kings of
France.

Catherine's first act of poAver was to dismiss her rival
the duchess of Valentinois, for whom it was no longer
necessary for her to assume the appearance of friend-
ship. This lady's family were no less celebrated for
their noble origin than for their immorality : she was
born in 1499, and was daughter of John of Poitiers,
lord of Saint Yallier, and granddaughter of Louis XI.,
by Margaret de Sassenage. At the age of thirteen
years she was married to Louis de Brdz^, grand senes-
chal of Normandy, count of Maulevrier, and grandson
of Charles VII. by Agnes Sorel.

Diana would probably have been irreproachable in
her conduct if her father, John of Poitiers, had not been
condemned to death in 1524, for having joined in the
revolt of the constable de Bourbon, on which occasion
she appeared at court, young, beautiful, and interesting
in her grief, asking the royal pardon for her father on
her knees. The gallant Francis I. raised her, and
granted a portion of her prayer, moved, it is said, by a

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 301

warmer sentiment than that of commiseration : she did
not, however, remain long at court.

After nineteen years of marriage she became a widow,
in 1531 ; when, in honour of her husband's memory, she
erected a superb mausoleum in the church of Notre Dame
de Rouen, and made a vow to wear mourning all her
life ; but the merit of this determination is somewhat
diminished by the circumstances of her mourning habits
having been white, and usually enriched by magnificent
jewels. All the poets, whom she patronized, have cele-
brated her beauty and conjugal attachment.

On returning to the court after the death of the grand
seneschal, Diana observed that the young dauphin's edu-
cation had been much neglected, and proposed to the
king to undertake the charge herself. It is astonishing
how this lady, who was old enough to be the prince's
mother, and who had tAvo daughters of the same age
as himself, contrived to captivate the heart of Henry,
whose youth was then in the bud, and who appeared to
respire but for her until the last moment of his life.

Some contemporary writers, friends of the marvellous,
recount that Diana bewitched the dauphin with a mys-
terious ring which she possessed. No doubt her sorce-
ries consisted in a beauty which braved the hand of time,
a majestic figure, jet black hair, which fell in ringlets
upon alabaster shoulders, graceful manners, musical

tones, and above all the art of retaining the heart which

VOL. I. — 26

302 QUEEN AND REGENT.

she had conquered. Brantome says, " J'ai vu Madame
de Valentinois, a I'age de soixante-sept ans, aussi belle
ct fraiclie que trente ans auparavant, encore qu'elle se
fut rompu une jambe sur la pav<^ d' Orleans en tombant
de cheval."

The ill-will of the duchess d'Etampes, who frequently
circulated satirical remarks upon the age and pretensions
of Diana, called forth oifensive reports from the latter
respecting the duchess's conduct ; but these court feuds
made no impression on the king or dauphin; and Diana,
who was proud of her royal origin, had sufficient influ-
ence to marry her eldest daughter to the duke de Bouil-
lon, prince of Sedan, in 1538, and a little later formed
an alliance for the second time with the duke d'Aumale,
uncle to Henry II.

The beauty of the dauphine, Catherine de Medicis,
did not in the least diminish the attachment of Henry II.
for his favourite. In her society he lost the unpolished
manners which he had contracted in the use of arms and
violent exercises ; and, notwithstanding Diana lived in
the age of chivalry, in which the honour of the female
sex was considered as a delicate flower that the least
breath of detraction or calumny could wither, the most
illustrious fiirailies in the kingdom did not hesitate to
confide their daughters to her care at court. When
elevated to the throne by the death of Francis I.,

CATHERINE DE :\IEDICTS. 303

Henry II. gave lier alosolute power to dispense the royal
gifts and favours.

The king bestowed the title of duchess de Valentinois
upon his favourite ; and in the year 1549, to gratify her
extravagant taste, instituted the fine of confirmation —
a tax which was paid on election by the new functionaries
before entering on the exercise of their duties. These
subsidies were devoted to the construction of the sump-
tuous chateau d'Anet.

But Diana is reproached with infidelity to Henry
notwithstanding all his bounty. She did not even
attempt to conceal her attachment for Charles de Cosse-
Brissac, of which the king was informed, but who, far
from coldly dismissing his ungrateful favourite, then
fifty-two years of age, displayed great jealousy, and
resolved to exile Brissac. However, to avoid irritating
Diana, he appointed him governor of Piedmont, in
1551, and she persuaded him to add to the dignity that
of marshal of France. Thus she dispensed gifts and
favours according to her will. In conjunction with the
constable de Montmorenci, she procured the disgrace of
the admiral d'Aunebaut and the cardinal Tournon, both
zealous servants of the king. With all her power
Diana skilfully managed the queen, whom she treated
with great respect ; and Catherine, on her part, assumed
an amicable sentiment for the duchess, who, when the

304 UUEEN AND UCGENT

queen was dangerously attacked Tvlth the quinsy in
Lorraine, attended her with unaflFected zeal and tender-
ness.

But the duchess de Valentinois merits the most severe
censure and contempt for her intimacy with the cardinal
of Lorraine, at whose solicitation she exerted her influ-
ence over Henry 11. to induce him to persecute the
Protestants (many of whom he ordered to be burned),
and to violate the treaty he had entered into with Spain ;
from which resulted most of the misfortunes that sig-
nalized the latter part of his reign, particularly the
defeat of Saint Quentin, in 1557, in which the constable
Montmorenci and the marshals Chatillon and Saint
Andr^ were taken prisoners.

The king on more than one occasion excited the jea-
lousy of the duchess. His daughter, Diana d'Angou-
leme, who was said to resemble him so much, was the
child of Phillippa Due, who was born at Montechiaro in
1538, and by her extreme beauty captivated Henry when
at Coni, in Piedmont, with the constable Montmorenci.
His courtiers set fire to the house in which this young
girl resided, and, under favour of the obscurity and
tumult, conveyed her to the king's palace. After the
birth of her daughter she took the vows, and died in her
convent.

Another object of his attachment was a young lady

CATHERINE DE AIEDK'IS. 305

named Nicol de Savigny, by wliom he had a son, Henry
de Saint Rami, afterwards gentleman of the chamber to
Henry III.

On the occasion of a fete which Catlierine de Medicis
gave to the king, she composed a ballet, which was to be
performed by the dauphine, Mary Stuart ; Queen Eliza-
beth of Spain ; Clarissa Strozzi, a relation of Cathe-
rine's ; Madame Claude of France ; and Miss Lewiston
(sometimes called "Flamyn"), who was descended from
an illustrious Scotch family, and maid of honour to Mary
Stuart, and whom Henry greatly admired.

In order to visit this young lady clandestinely, the
king was in the habit of enveloping himself in a large
sheet, and assuming the appearance of a ghost ; but the
duchess of Valentinois discovered his trick, and obliged
him to send Miss Lewiston out of the kingdom : previous
to her departure she gave birth to Henry duke of Angou-
leme. Grand Prior of France, and admiral and governor
of Provence.

The execution of Mary Stuart so sensibly affected
Mary Lewiston that she languished and died in 1588.

When Henry II. met his death-blow at the tourna-
ment, in which he fought decorated with the colours of
his mistress, then nearly sixty years of age, the queen
peremptorily ordered Diana to retire to her own hStel,
forbade her to enter the king's chamber, and bluntly
2G *

306 QUEEN AND REGENT.

demanded the restoration of some diamonds of the crown
which were in her possession.

It was then the duchess de Valentinois's turn to be
despoiled of her grandeur and abandoned by her friends.
The constable de Montmorenci alone proved grateful to
her ; and the queen would have wreaked her vengeance
on her fallen rival, if the duke d'Aumale by his persua-
sions had not prevented this affront to the memory of
Henry II. She was permitted to retire to the chateau
d'Anet, which she had ornamented in a most scandalous
style of luxury and extravagance. To gratify the car-
dinal of Lorraine she had with equal prodigality erected
an immense number of convents, the rumour of which
caused the advocate-general, Dumesnil, to demand from
her a restitution of seventy-six thousand livres and fif-
teen hundred crowns, for the succour of the borderers
of the Loire, who had been despoiled to that amount by
her agents.

Two years after the death of Francis IL, which oc-
curred in 1560, Catherine de Medicis, forgetting, in her
political views, that the duchess of Valentinois had once
possessed the heart of her husband, and thinking that
her skill in intrigue would be useful to her, recalled her
to court, wdiere Diana willingly seconded her ambitious
purposes ; but she did not long enjoy the fruits of this
reconciliation, having died in 156G, at the age of sixty-

CATHERINE DE-MEDICIS. 307

seven, and was buried in the chapel of her chateau
d'Anet.

The portal of this chateau is preserved at the Mus6e
des Augustins in Paris, as also the tomb of Diana, sur-
mounted by her statue, in vrhich she is represented in
a reclining position, surrounded by the attributes of the
goddess of the chase. The exquisite workmanship of
this monument renders it an invaluable relic.

Of her two daughters by Henry II., one, Diana of
France, was married to Horatio Farnese, duke of Cas-
tro, and afterwards to Frangois de Montmorenci ; the
other espoused Claude de Lorraine. Henry II. would
have legitimatized these two children, but the duchess
opposed it, saying, " I was your mistress because I loved
you, but I will not suifer an edict to proclaim my weak-
ness."

The all-powerful Catherine, by her moderate treatment
of her rival, gained over many of the partisans that the
favourite had acquired during her long prosperity ; she
also conciliated the duke of Montpensier by giving him
a Avealthy possession, and the prince of La Roche-sur-
Yon by appointing his wife her " dame dlionneur."

The kingdom was torn by the factions of the princes
of the blood, the Guises and the Montmorencis, amongst
whom she unceasingly created divisions, always attach-
ing herself to the strongest party, which she invariably

308 QUEEN AND REGENT

confounded in the end by her intrigues. By these means
she was three times regent of France — under Francis
IL, Charles IX., and Henry III. before his return from
Poland.

Catherine made choice of the most approved council-
lors, amongst whom were the cardinal of Lorraine ;
Montluc, bishop of Valence; Samblancay, archbishop of
Bourges ; and, above all, the upright and virtuous chan-
cellor de I'Hopital, whose influence lasted too short a
time for the welfare of his country.

The regent was not equally skilful in regard to the
Protestants, who attacked her government, and pub-
lished memoirs, in which she was accused of unlawfully
taking part in the administration : the conspiracy of
Amboise completely drew upon them the hatred of this
arrogant queen, although she was very indifferent to
matters of religion, and at one time even affected an
attachment for the Protestants, whose discontents she
favoured when necessary to her projects ; but in con-
testing the regency they committed an offence which she
considered quite unpardonable.

During the short reign of her eldest son, Francis II.,
who ascended the throne in 1559, and died in 1560,
Catherine's power wavered ; for the king had married
Mary Stuart, niece to the Guises, who were rendered

CATHERINE DE MEDICI3. 309

all-powerful in France in consequence of tlie affection

of Francis 11. for his wife.

On the occurrence of his death, Charles IX. succeeded

to the throne, and his minority caused a new regency ;

to obtain which Catherine offered, as the price of that

power, the lives and liberty of the Prince of Conde and

the king of Navarre, both of whom were condemned to

»
death in consequence of their conspiracy at Amboise ;

and those princes, preferring life and freedom to power,

agreed to her proposal : her government was therefore

proclaimed by the states assembled at Orleans.

In 1562 the king of Navarre again raised the standard
of revolt, in which he was joined by all the Calvinists ;
and the queen, alarmed by this rebellion, left Paris for
Melun : she also provided other retreats in case of ne-
cessity, by conferring the government of Normandy on
the Sire of Matignon, and giving one of her daughters
to the duke of Savoy, as well as restoring him several
places of which he had been deprived by the treaty of
Cateau Cambresis.

But these resources were not needed, fortune having
declared itself on her side. The king of Navarre was
killed at the siege of Rouen, and his party Avas so much
weakened by his loss that Catherine ventured to pro-
pose an amnesty to the Protestants, although she enter-
tained a strong resentment against them. The battle

310 QUEEN AND REGENT

of Dreux, in which the celebrated Marshal Saint Andr^
perished, ruined the hopes of the reformers.

The last obstacle to the queen-regent's peaceable en-
joyment of her power was the duke de Guise, who was
assassinated at Orleans, by Poltrot, in 1563. Catherine,
on learning this news, shed tears of joy. She at once
dismissed the virtuous I'Hopital, whose probity was a
restraint to her ; and, unscrupulous as to the means she
employed to gratify her taste for governing, continued
to foment divisions between those whose attachment she
doubted, and by weakening the state secured her own
tranquillity ; on the other hand, she loaded her partisans
with favours, and augmented their numbers daily.

Although forty-three years of age, she still possessed
great beauty, of which it is asserted that she made poli-
tical use, having accorded her smiles to the vidame of
Chartres, the cardinal of Lorraine, the duke de Nemours,
the duke de Guise, the prince de Conde, and even to a
private gentleman of Brittany named Troile de Mesques.

She also attracted all the nobility to the court by the
various diversions that she invented ; her maids of ho-
nour, the number of whom exceeded two hundred, per-
formed in ballots and theatricals which she composed,
and Catherine did not hesitate to make use of their
attractions also to serve her political purposes ; she cor-
rupted her court and her own children, not even except-

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 311

ing Margaret de Valois, whom she frequently conducted
to the PLace de Greve in Paris, to witness the executions.

Catherine was, however, very industrious : a follower
of the school of Alexander VI. and the Borgias, she
diligently studied Machiavelisni, incessantly corresponded
in French and Italian, and added lustre to her diadem
by the discerning and generous patronage she bestowed
on artists, who have acknowledged their debt of grati-
tude to her in the eulogies they have handed down to
posterity.

This luxurious queen left the palace of Tournellos for
that of the Tuileries, which she built, and where she sux*-
passed all the beauties who surrounded her by her
majestic air and graceful manners. It was this palace
that her superstitious notions induced her to abandon in
1564.

Although gifted with an intellectual mind, Catherine,
who had no religious faith, believed in ghosts and spirits :
she always wore upon her bosom the skin of an infant
whose throat had been cut ; this amulet was covered with
mysterious characters of different colours, and she was
persuaded that it possessed the virtue of preserving her
from all injury. She brought divinators and astrologers
with her from Italy, amongst whom Avas the celebrated
Cosmo Ruggieri. This astrologer having predicted that
she would die at Saint Germain, she avoided every place

312 QUEEN AND REGENT

that bore that name ; and as the palace of the Tuileries
happened to be situated in a Avood near the parish of
Saint Germain I'Auxerrois, she ordered the erection of
the Hotel do Soissons, near Saint Eustache, where she
resided, and to which she adjoined an observatory column,
which still exists in the spot of the Halle aux Bles. This
column contains a secret staircase, by which the queen
ascended Avith her astrologers to consult the stars and
armillary sphere, and to seek in their various positions
the perspective of a happiness which the sinful cannot
hope to enjoy.

To these faults and weaknesses Catherine joined some
great qualities ; she intrepidly assisted at the siege of
Rouen in 1562, by encouraging the soldiers in the midst
of the fight, heedless of the balls and bullets which flew
around her: she afterwards took possession of Havre de
Grace, which was occupied by the English, and made a
negotiation with Elizabeth of England, by which that
powerful queen evacuated the coasts of Normandy, which
had been ceded to her by the Protestants during the
civil war. At this time all Europe was governed by
women — England by Elizabeth; Scotland by Mary
Stuart ; Portugal by the infanta, daughter of Eleonor ;
Navarre by queen Jane ; the Low Countries by the na-
tural daughter of Charles Quint ; Spain by Isabella of
France ; and France by Catherine de Medicis.

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 313

Wishing to deprive the Prince cle Contle of his post
of lieutenant-general of the kingdom, the queen-regent
in 1565 offered to divide the government with her son,
Charles IX., then fourteen years of age, and had her
project declared hy the parliament at Rouen. The irri-
tated Conde again revolted and attempted to seize the
king and the queen-mother at Meaux in 15G6; hut the
defeat of the Protestants at Saint Denis, by the consta-
ble Montmorenci, strengthened the power of the regent,
and gave her the leisure and the means of forming her
projects of vengeance.

At Bayonne, consequently, she resolved, in concert
"vvith the pope's agents, and Isabella of Spain, assisted
by the duke of Alba, to attempt the destruction of the
Protestants, and was frequently accompanied in her in-
terviews by the young king of Navarre, to whom she
was particularly attached. This prince, who all his life
watched over the interests of France, although at the
tender age of thirteen, fully understood the nature of
these plots, and informed his mother, who warned the
prince de Condd and the admiral Coligny ; in conse-
quence of which the massacres were adjourned. This
youth was afterwards Henry the Great.

Catherine, who imagined that her sanguinary projects
would be more easily executed at Paris, unceasingly
endeavoured to attract a great number of Protestants

VOL. I.— 27

314 QUEEN AND KEGENT

there by ■ffarm invitations and brilliant promises : she
could not, however, succeed in alluring either Cond^ or
Coligny, who continued the civil war ; she therefore pro-
ceeded to the army with her young son, Henry of Anjou,
then only sixteen years of age.

In 1567, on the fete of Saint Denis, Catherine's re-
doubtable enemy, the constable de Montmorenci, was
killed ; and in 1569, the battle of Jarnac, in which Conde
was slain, and of Montcontour, in which Catherine had
the satisfaction of seeing her son Henry the first captain
in Europe, crushed the Protestants without destroying
their hopes, and, although there was much carnage, did
not shake the frightful resolution the queen-mother had
formed of subjecting them to a more complete massacre.

Hitherto it had been difficult to attract a great num-
ber of Protestants to Paris ; it was necessary to inspire
them with confidence. Catherine undertook the task,
and, urged by the cardinal of Lorraine, and seconded by
her son, Charles IX., she employed the immense re-
sources of her talent in seduction and perfidy.

She invited the queen of Navarre and Admiral Coligny
to the capital, but both had the prudence to refuse ; she
then sent Biron with a proposal of marriage between
her own daughter, Margaret de Valois, and the queen
of Navarre's young son, Henry, prince of B^arn. After
some hesitation, this apparently frank and cordial offer

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 315

was accepted, and thcv arrived at Blois, ^vllere they
"fl'cre ■welcomed by the king and tlie queen-mother.

The court assembled at Paris to make preparations for
the marriage, and Jane d'Albret, queen of Navarre, was
so disgusted at the corrupt manners of the inmates of
the royal dwelling, that she was desirous of flying from
it, but was prevented by her death, she having been
poisoned by Catherine's perfumer ! In reading the his-
tory of this queen, the imagination is dismayed at the
diabolical arts by which so many illustrious persons fell,
to serve the purposes and fortune of the ambitious
daughter of Medicis. Neither this event, nor a thousand
other secret indications, seemed to awaken the suspicions
of the Protestants, for this deceitful queen calmly pre-
pared garlands, fetes, and ballets with all the appearance
of sincerity ! like the ancients, who decorated theii'
victims with flowers, and conducted them to the sacrifice
in the midst of music and the dance.

The most sanguinary page in the annals of France is
offered to the memory in the massacres of Saint Bar-
tholomew, which took place on the 24th of August,
1572, and were resolved on and arranged in the Tuile-
ries by Catherine and the dukes of Anjou, Xevers, and
Angouleme. Admiral Coligny was to be the first victim,
and the general massacre was to follow. All was
determined with a frightful secrecy : the barriers of Paris

31G QUEEN AND REGENT

were locked and guarded, and the signal was the clock
of Saint Germain I'Auxerrois. Sad and anxious,
Charles IX. waited in secret horror for the hour of the
massacre. His mother, fearing his irresolution, passed
the night beside him, reassured him, and prevented him
from countermanding his order ; to hasten the perform-
ance of which, she caused the tocsin to be sounded before
the arrival of the hour.

Coligny's house was forced ; the assassins rushed upon
him, regardless of his white hairs, and despatched him
with many blows, after which they threw his body out
of the window ; then followed the screams of the dying
and the shouts of the murderers. None were spared ;
the streets and squares were strewn with the corpses of
the old and young of both sexes, who had been assassi-
nated in their beds and thrown from their windows.
When morning arose to enlighten this frightful scene
of tragedy, blood ran through the streets, and dyed
the borders of the river. " Les corps ddtranchds tom-
baient des fenetres, les portes-cocheres ^taient bouchdes
de corps acheves ou languissants, et les rues de cadavres
qu'on trainait sur le pav^ a la riviere."

The king of Navarre's gentlemen were killed in the
Louvre, and the infamous Charles IX., grown ferocious
at the sight of blood, armed with a carbine, and standing
on the meridional balcony of the Louvre, fired on the

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 317

unhappy Pi'otestants who endeavoured to s^vlm across
the Seine. The carnage lasted three days, after which
the queen left her palace to contemplate this work of
her revenge, accompanied by her children and her maids
of honour. Orders for the same scenes of execution
were sent to all the provinces in France, and sixty thou-
sand inhabitants fell to satisfy the bloodthirsty Cathe-
rine. History affords the names of those governors who
rejected her mission with horror ; they were Messieurs
de Tendy, de Charny, de Saint-Heran, Tannequy-le-
Veneur, de Gordes, de Mandelot, and d'Orthes.

An Italian cut off the head of Coligny, and offered
it to Catherine, who, after attentively examining it for
some time, ordered that sad trophy of her cruelty to be
embalmed, and sent to Rome to Pope Gregory XIII.,
Avho dared to blaspheme Heaven by publicly returning
thanks for the massacre.

After this period the queen-mother plunged into every
species of depravity, infected France with all the vices
of Italy, and favoured and encouraged the disorderly
conduct of her sons, in order to deprive them of the
energy requisite for governing. She instituted, among
other diversions, battles between beasts, and accompa-
nied her children to witness the tortures and executions
of the condemned ; after which she gave them feasts,
27 *

318 QUEEN AND REGENT

in which her maids of lionour, crowned with flowers, and
habited as goddesses, served the young princes at table.

Charles IX. 's disposition, after the massacres of Saint
Bartholomew, became sad and melancholy ; he was con-
stantly filled wdth terror ; and, struck with a mortal malady
in the flower of his age, he experienced but indiff"erence
and neglect from most of his relations. He believed
himself to be surrounded with spectres, had frightful
dreams, in which his terrified imagination beheld rivers
of blood and heaps of ghastly corpses, and fancied that
the air was constantly filled with doleful sounds and
plaintive accents. He sighed continually, and had an
insupportable weight of grief at his heart ; remorse
doubtless abridged his days, which renders him at least
worthy of compassion, for he was sensible of his crimes
and dreaded the Divine anger, whereas the real author
and instigator of the massacre never displayed the least
sign of repentance ; indeed, Catherine is said to have
declared that she had only six of the murders of that
eventful night upon her conscience ; which, if the state-
ment is correct, bespeaks a most frightful security !
When dying, Charles IX. repulsed his mother wdth hor-
ror, and fell into convulsions whenever she attempted to
approach him.

The queen-mother experienced little grief at the loss
of this son, having always a preference for the duke of

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 319

Anjou ; some chronicles state that Louis XIII. often
repeated that Charles IX. was poisoned by Catherine
de Medicis. This queen saw with pleasure the continu-
ation of her authority, until Henry III., who was elected
kins of Poland in 1573, returned to France and
assumed the reins of government in 1574. But this
prince was no longer the valiant conqueror of Jarnac
and Montcontour, having grown indolent, and his ambi-
tious mother encouraged this disposition.

In 1575 Henry III. married Louise of Lorraine,
niece to the duke de Guise ; and Catherine, fearing that
the young queen's uncle would obtain too much influence
over the king, created a division between the royal pair.
Accordingly, the indignant Protestants again revolted ;
but the queen-mother arrested the king of Navarre and
the marshals Montmorenci and de Cosse, who headed
them, but the king rendered them their liberty in 157G,
and granted them places of security. Catherine consoled
herself by prevailing on the pope to excommunicate the
king of Navarre in 1585.

This queen's astrologers had foretold that her four
sons would be kings, and she made every effort to pro-
cure a foreign crown for the fourth, who was Duke
d'Alencon, for she loved Henry III. too much to wish
that the fourth prince should succeed to the throne
through his death. She therefore despatched Monsieur

320 QUEEN AND REGENT

de Noailles to obtain the regency of Algiers for liim from
the sultan, Sclim II., with the view of composing a
kingdom for that prince by the addition of the island •
of Sardinia. This ambitious woman also despatched a
fleet in 1580 to maintain her pretensions to the crown
of Portugal, but in that enterprise she failed.

The formation of the league in 1585 augmented her
power, but threw France into the most terrible disorder ;
the duke de Guise placed himself at the head of the
revolt, and plunged the nation into an abyss of trouble,
which the accession of Henry the Great alone put an
end to.

After the celebrated "day of barricades," in 1588,
the king, who was defeated by the league and obliged
to quit Paris, at length discerned the source of all the
evil ; he, therefore, forbid his mother's appearance in
the council, and loaded her with bitter reproaches. The
rage to which Catherine gave vent in consequence
brought on a violent fever, of which she died at Blois,
in 1589, aged seventy years. This queen deservedly
carried to the tomb the execration of the people.

Iler children were — besides Francis II., Charles IX.,
and Henry III. — Louis, Victoria, and Jane, who died
in their infancy ; Francis duke d' Alencon and Brabant ;
Elizabeth, wife of Philip II., king of Spain ; Claude,
married to Charles II., duke de Lorraine ; and Marga-
ret do Ynlois, first wife of Henry the Great.

CATHERINE DE MEDICIS. 321

In consequence of there being no materials at Blois
necessary for the process of embalming, Catherine's re-
mains were soon decomposed ; her bodj was, therefore,
transferred without pomp to the church of Saint Sauveur
at Blois, where she was obliged to be buried in the night.
In 1609 (twenty-one years after her burial) her coffin
was transported to Saint Denis, and placed in the mau-
soleum which she erected for her husband and herself.

Chateaubriand, in his remarks on this queen, says,
" Catherine was an Italian, and educated in a republican
principality ; she was accustomed to popular storms,
factions, intrigues, secret poisonings, and midnight mur-
ders ; she had no aristocratic and monarchical prejudices
— that haughtiness towards the great and contempt for
the little, those pretensions to divine right and monopoly
of absolute power ; she was unacquainted with our laws,
and had little respect for them ; for she attempted to
place the crown of France upon the head of her daughter.
Like the Italians of her time she was superstitious, but
incredulous in her religious opinions and in her unbelief;
had no real aversion to the Protestants, but sacrificed
them for political reasons. In fact, if we trace all her
actions, we shall perceive that she looked upon this vast
kingdom, of which she was the sovereign, as an enlarged
Florence ; and considered the riots of her little republic,
the quarrels of the Pozzi and the Medicis, as the strug-
gles of the Guises and Chatillons."

322 QUEEN AND REGENT CATHERINE DE MEDICIS.

As the mother of kings, the guardian of her children,
and the regent of the kingdom, Catherine's character is
a problem difficult to solve. She was more circumspect
than enterpising, and supplied the want of a vigorous
chief hj the craftiness and cunning of her sex and
country ; she neither did wrong for the pleasure of com-
mitting evil, nor good from a natural principle of virtue,
for her merits and vices depended mostly on moments
and circumstances. In reflecting on the annals of
empires, how frequently the destinies of thousands depend
upon the lightest incidents ! At the insurrection of
Florence, in 1528, Catherine de Medicis several times
narrowly escaped death. The rebels, having seized her,
conveyed her to a convent : one of them proposed to
suspend her from the walls, exposed to the fire of the
artillery, and another washed to give her up to the
brutality of the soldiers ; but she escaped all these dan-
gers, in order to burden France with trouble for the
space of fifty-six years !

Nevertheless, her love for the arts does her honour.
Besides the Tuileries and the Hotel de Soissons which
she built at Paris, she erected the beautiful chateau de
Chenonceaux in Touraine ; she also enriched the royal
library of Paris with a great number of Greek and Latin
manuscripts, and with a portion of the books which her
great-grandfather, Laurent de Medicis, purchased from
the Turks after the taking of Constantinople.

QUEEN MARY STUAllT. 323

QUEEN MARY STUART.

(Eeigu of Francis II.)

Allied to the houses of Bourbon and Mctlicis, niece
of Henry YIII., king of England, and daughter of
James V. of Scotland and of Mary de Lorraine-Guise,
Mary Stuart, who is celebrated in the annals of three
kingdoms, and has occupied the world with her romantic
life and tragical death, was born in the castle of Lin-
lithgow in Edinburgh, in the year 1542. A week after
her birth, the death of her father raised her to the throne
under the guardianship of her mother, and she was
crowned at the age of nine months, at Stirling, by the
Cardinal Beaton, archbishop of Saint- Andrew's.

The hand of the young queen of Scotland w^as sought
by both England and France. Henry VIII. was de-
sirous of marrying Mary to his son Edward, in order to
unite the two kingdoms ; and Henry II. made every
effort to preserve an alliance with a country that had
always powerfully assisted the French in their struggles
with the English. The count of Arran, regent of Scot-
land, destined Mary for his son ; but, when the count de
Montgomeri was sent to that country to oppose the
incursions of the English who were ravaging their bor-
ders, the nobles, to testify their gratitude, accorded
the hand of their young queen to Francis IL, dauphin

324 QUEEN MAllY STUART.

of France, and thus, through the skilful negotiations
of the cardinal de Lorraine and the duke de Guise,
England lost this rich possession.

In the mean tirac, Mary was educated in a convent in
the middle of the lake of Monteith, with four companions,
all of whom hore the name of Mary ; and the queen-
mother, seeing her daughter safely surrounded by a corps
of Henry II. 's troops, publicly declared that the queen
of Scotland was affianced to the dauphin of France.

In order to transport her safely to France, a fleet
waited near the coast, and she was placed under the
charge of the count de Brdzd, who with a military escort
conducted her from Dumbarton Castle on board of a
French galley stationed at the mouth of the Clyde. She
was accompanied by her natural brother, James Stuart,
William Lewiston, John Airskins, and her four female
companions and namesakes. After much manoeuvring
to avoid the English fleet who pursued her, Mary landed
at Brest, and proceeded by short journeys to Saint Ger-
main, where her health and education were equally
attended to. At the age of six years, her beauty and
sweetness of disposition rendered her the idol of the
court. Her form and movements were strikingly ele-
gant, her features regular, her eyes and hair deep brown,
and her complexion a dazzling white. There was a
charm in all her words and actions, jvhich drew this

QUEEN MARY STUART. 325

remark from Catherine de Medicis : — "Notre petite
reinette Ecossaise n'a qu'a sourire pour tourner toutes
ces tetes Francaises."

Mary possessed an astonisliing facility for acquiring
languages, having at the age of fourteen spoken six with
fluency ; her imagination was brilliant, and in the pre-
sence of Henry II., Catherine de Medicis, and the court,
she delivered with her natural eloquence an address in
Latin, which she had herself composed, and in which
she maintained that it was the duty of all women to
cultivate the belles-lettres. In 1550 she nearly fell a
victim to poison, which was administered to her by one
of the king's archers of the Scotch guard.

In 1558, the dauphin, who was sincerely attached to
his fiancee, entreated the king to suffer their union to
take place, and, as there were no opposing obstacles, the
marriage ceremony was performed at Notre Dame de
Paris, on a theatre expressly erected in front of the
church-door. After the celebration of the union, the
Scotch ambassadors presented Mary with her sceptre
and crown, and she was styled the queen-dauphinc.

England regarded with jealousy the advantages
France possessed by this marriage. Scotland had
become a prey to religious factions, and groaned under
the violence of the agents sent by France to introduce
the Catholic faith ; and Mary, who entertained great

VOL. I.— 28

326 QUEEN MARY STUART.

repugnance for the excesses committed in her name,
became odious to her subjects.

At the death of Mary queen of England, the queen-
dauphine, who was niece to Henry VIII., assumed the
title of Queen of England, to the exclusion of Elizabeth,
daughter of Anne Boleyn, whom the Catholics con-
sidered illegitimate. The dauphin, who became king in
1559, died in 1560 ; and Mary, who had borne the title
of queen of three kingdoms, felt herself despoiled of
all save the name, for Elizabeth's skilful conduct ren-
dered any attempt at supplanting her useless.

Mary would gladly have remained in France, content
to be quccn-dowager of that kingdom only, for she felt
that she could not live so happily in her own wild and
less polished country ; but the politic and suspicious
Catherine do Medicis opposed her wishes, fearing that,
if her son, Charles IX., married her, she would govern
the empire of France in the king's name.

Mary was deeply affected at the loss of her young
husband, and would frequently sing elegies which she
composed, and accompany herself on the lute : —

" Si je suis en repos,
Someillant sur ma couclie,
J'oy qu'il me tient propos,
Je le sens qui me touche :
En labeur, en recoy,
Toujours est prcs de moi."

QUEEN MARY STUART. 327

She at first retired to lier uncle, tlie cardinal de Lor-
raine, at Rheims, where she received a siiniraons from
Elizabeth to renounce the title of queen of England and
Ireland, which she refused to do ; and, finding herself
but indifferently supported by her uncle in her projects
of remaining in France, embarked at Calais in 1561.

On her departure she addressed most aifecting adieux
to the hospitable land that had sheltered her childhood.
Leaning against the poop of the vessel, with her eyes
fixed upon the coast, she burst into tears when the land
grew distant, and remained five hours in the same atti-
tude, constantly repeating " Adieu, France ! adieu,
France !" When night came, she refused to descend to
the cabin ; a carpet was spread on the deck where she
lay, but she could not be prevailed on to take any nou-
rishment. She desired the helmsman to awaken her at
the first glimmer of daylight, that she might catch one
more glimpse of the French soil ; and when the break
of day permitted her a last look at her cherished France,
she saluted it with these words : — " Adieu la France !
adieu done, ma tres chore France ! cela est fait ; adieu
la France ! je pense ne vous voir jamais plus." Another
exile, who recently sought shelter in Mary Stuart's de-
serted palace of Ilolyrood, might have pronounced the
same words. The verses in which Mai-y expressed her
regrets are well known : —

328 QUEEN MARY STUART.

•' Adieu ! plaisant pays de France;
0 ma patrie,
La plus ch<irie,
Qui as nourri ma jenne enfance.
Adieu, France ! adieu, mes beaux jours !"

Some historians assert that her grief was increased by
the circumstance of her being attached to the constable
Montmorenci, but this is doubtful ; her heart was more
probably full of the image of her lost husband, whose
remains reposed in that land of her love. But if it had
been the case, and the constable had been free to have
united his hand to that of this queen, he would probably
have governed Scotland wisely. Mary's name would be
free from the stain of blood, and Elizabeth's from the
crime of regicide.

Mary's pretensions to the throne of England drew on
her the hatred of Elizabeth, who, informed of her return
to Scotland by the earl of Murray, sent out several ves-
sels to arrest her rival ; she however escaped, under
favour of a thick fog, and after five days' sail disem-
barked at Leith, and made her entry into Edinburgh.
She found the country in confusion on account of the
religious differences ; the Catholic faith was proscribed,
and her chaplain's life attempted ; the people, excited
by her natural brother the earl of Murray, proclaimed
that they had an idolatrous queen, and displayed many
proofs of hatred towards her.

QUEEN MARY STUART. 329

Mary requested Elizabeth to acknoAvleclge her as heir
to the throne of Engkmd — a demand Avhich ^vas not
unreasonable, as she was obliged afterwards to admit the
same rights in the person of her son, James YI. It has
been said that one of the conditions upon which this
acknowledgment was to be granted was Mary's marriage
with the earl of Leicester, to whom Elizabeth was
attached, and which proposal was doubtless a ruse of the
queen of England's to prevent other alliances, Avhicli
were offered to the queen of Scotland from all sides,
especially by the Archduke Charles of Austria, son of
Ferdinand L, and Don Carlos, son of Philip II. of
Spain.

Although Mary hardly escaped being seized by the
English vessels, the two queens were at first very ami-
cable, and even exchanged presents. In 1564 Mary
sent Elizabeth a superb diamond, accompanied by a let-
ter written in Latin, which both these queens were well
versed in ; and the queen of Scotland was the dupe of
the queen of England's deceitful demonstrations of
friendship, which, however, did not last long. Mary
encouraged the Catholics in England ; Elizabeth excited
the Protestant faction in Scotland : thus religious differ-
ences produced dissensions between these two queens,
who governed in the same island.

Instead of contracting an alliance with a prince who
28*

330 QUEEN MARY STUART.

could have sustained and protected her against the ambi-
tion and jealousy of Elizabeth, Mary married, in 1565,
her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a young man
nineteen years of age, grandson of Henry VIII., and,
like Mary, a Catholic and aspirant to the throne of Eng-
land. Mary's natural brother, the earl of Murray,
stirred up the discontented, but the queen took up arms
and dispersed the rebels, after -which she bestowed the
title of king upon her husband.

Shortly after, her enemies persuaded Darnley that
the queen entertained an aifection for David Rizzio, a
Piedmontese, belonging to the suite of the ambassador
of Savoy, ^Yhose talents she admired, but Avho was ugly
and deformed : she accorded him her confidence in the
administration of the state, appointed him to the office
of private secretary, and admitted him at her tabic.
One evening when supping at Holyrood with the earl of
Argyle, her natural sister, and Rizzio, Darnley precipi-
tately entered the room, accompanied by the lords Ruth-
ven, Douglas, and others, and declared that he had come
to take the life of Rizzio : the unfortunate Italian threw
himself at his mistress's feet, and implored her protection.
In vain the queen employed entreaties and menaces ;
while clinging to her robes, and endeavouring to shelter
himself near her person, he was despatched at the feet
of his sovereign with repeated blows of the poniard, in

QUEEN MARY STUART 331

1566. Mary, -who was at the time pregnant, experienced
so mucli alarm at this horrible spectacle, that the impres-
sion is said to have been communicated to her child,
James VI. of Scotland, and I. of England, -vvho could
never look upon an unsheathed sword without terror.

At the sight of Rizzio's bleeding corpse, Marj, who
was overpowered with indignation, exclaimed, " I will
not deplore, but I will avenge him." She caused his
body to be buried in the tomb of the kings of Scotland,
which created great indignation.

Henry Stuart, who was attacked with indisposition at
the residence of hia father in Glasgow, was persuaded
by the queen to remove to a house belonging to tlio
collegiate provost of St. Mary, where he perished, and
the tragedy is imputed to Mary, who is considered
by some to have acquiesced in the murder of her husband
for the purpose of marrying her lover, the earl of Both-
well. Letters were afterwards produced which were
declared to have been addressed by the queen to Botliwell,
in which she accedes to his project of assassination.

The unfortunate prince and his domestics were stran-
gled in their beds, and the house blown up with gunpow-
der. The same histories state that Mary, instead of
enclosing herself for forty days, appeared in public
immediately after her husband's murder, and in a sliort

332 QUEEN MARY STUART.

time married the assassin Both well, whom she created
dulce of Orkney.

In consequence of this criminal conduct, or rather
the belief in it, the people revolted, and Mary was
besieged in the castle of Borthwick, where, abandoned
by her cowardly husband, she fell into the poAver of the
insurgents, who conducted her to Edinburgh, all the way
displaying to her view a banner on which was painted a
representation of Darnley's corpse.

Confined in Lochleven Castle, under the care of
Lady Murray, mother of the brutal earl, Mary was
forced to sign her abdication and the earl of Murray's
regency. She contrived to escape from her captivity
through the assistance of a youth (William Douglas)
sixteen years of age. At Hamilton she found a small
army of six thousand men, but, attacked by superior
forces, she was defeated at Langside.

Having no vessel to convey her to France, Mary pro-
ceeded to England by the Gulf of Solway, and entreated
the assistance which Elizabeth had so often insidiously
offered. Elizabeth replied that she would accord her
protection when she had justified herself of the crimes
imputed to her. At the same time the Earl of Lennox
demanded justice for the murder of his son Darnley, and
Murray sent the queen of England a case of papers
consisting of correspondence purporting to be the letters

QUEEN MARY STUART. 333

of the queen of Scotland to Botlnvell. This nobleman
when dying publicly declared that Mary had no hand
whatever in the murder of Darnley.

The third period of Mary's life begins with her
introduction to England, and, supposing her to have
been guilty of the crimes imputed to her, the treatment
she received there is sufficient to efface all recollection
of them. The narrow-minded Elizabeth, mistress of
her rival, nourished such violent sentiments of envy that
she could not endure to hear her name pronounced ;
forgetting the claims of misfortune and the rights of
hospitality, she arrogated to herself the power of
arresting the queen of Scotland, and issued orders for
her trial.

The unhappy victim found a friend in the duke of
Norfolk, who protected her in her captivity, and would
have married her ; he even formed a party for her in
London, but his head paid the price of his temerity.
Philip II., king of Spain, in conjunction with Pope Pius
v., also prepared to invade England on her account ;
but these attempts proved misfortunes for Mary, who was
more closely confined, and, in addition to the other
crimes laid to her charge, was accused of conspiracy.

The extreme loveliness of Mary Stuart had always,
as has been stated by her partisans, grieved the heart
of Elizabeth, who, they assert, had no pretensions to

334 QUEEN MARY STUART.

physical advantages of any kind ; and she is represented
as so revengeful as not to he satisfied until her rival's beau-
tiful head should roll on the scaffold. It is insinuated that,
if Mary did really plot in her prison, the snare was
purposely laid for her. There are, however, good rea-
sons for believing that her superiority of talents and
charms cost her her life. Ballard and Babington, two
enthusiastic Catholics, resolved to assassinate Elizabeth,
by which Mary would have succeeded to the throne.
The correspondence of those conspirators was seized by
Elizabeth's spies, and another accusation was added to
the list.

Elizabeth thought proper to prolong the captivity of
the queen of Scotland for the space of nineteen years ;
she unceasingly overwhelmed her with humiliations,
and, to aggravate the weight of her misery, several times
held out to her the sweet hope of liberty. She was re-
peatedly transferred from one prison to another, but the
place of conference was Westminster, and the queen of
England paid the chief accuser, Murray, five thousand
pounds to encourage his zeal. Elizabeth also excited
James VI. to persecute his mother ; and by her orders
the governor of the prison to whose charge Mary was
confided. Sir Amias Paulet, had a Catholic priest exe-
cuted in front of her window for having displayed some
interest for his unhappy sovereign.

QUEEN MAllY STUART. 335

In vain Mary offered to renounce all claim to the
crown of England, in order to obtain lier liberty ; in
vain the ambassadors of her brother-in-law, Henry III,,
the president de Bclliere, Messieurs Fenelon, de Mau-
vissiere, and de Chateauneuf, pleaded her cause with
energy, — they were not heard. Elizabeth appointed a
commission to try her on accusations threatening her
life ; she was found guilty and condemned to death, and
the earls of Kent and Shrewsbury were sent to present
the queen of Scotland the warrant for her execution.

Mary employed her last days in consoling her attend-
ants, among whom she distributed her trinkets, and
wrote to the king of France and Catherine de Medicis ;
she also wrote her confession, because she was not al-
lowed a chaplain, — a favour usually accorded to the
vilest of criminals.

The evening before her death, after supper, she drank
to the health and welfare of all her devoted attendants,
and requested them to pledge her : obedient to her w^ish,
they all knelt around her, and mingling their tears with
their wine, drank to their mistress. She afterwards
spent some time in devotion, and then sought repose, in
order, as she said, to preserve her strength, that she
might act with the dignity becoming a Christian and a
queen.

At the break of day Mary arose and dressed herself

336 QUEEN MARY STUART.

witli extraordinary care, in a robe of black velvet, whict
she reserved for the purpose of her execution; after
which she prayed, and communicated with her own
hands the sacred wafer, M'hich had been consecrated and
sent to her by the sovereign pontiff, Pius V. She re-
quested her female attendants to assist her in her last
rioments, and, leaning on the arm of her faithful ser-
vant, Lord Melvil, firmly ascended the scaffold, which
was erected at Fotheringhay Castle. Till the last mo-
ment the earl of Kent reproached her with her super-
stition, and insulted the crucifix which she held in her
hand. Her women took off her veil and ornaments ;
and when the executioner stepped forward to remove
the collar from her neck, she gently repulsed him, say-
ing that she was unaccustomed to be waited on by such
attendants. When she declared herself prepared, he
knelt and asked her pardon, which she accorded to him,
as well as to all the authors of her death ; and then,
looking at the axe, she expressed her regret at not hav-
ing her head taken off by a French sword. Mary then
protested her innocence, embraced her friends with seri-
ous composure, had her eyes bandaged, during which
she recited a Latin psalm aloud, and then laid her head
upon the block. The executioner was so unskilful that
he drove a part of the queen's headdress into her skull,
and her head was not severed from her body until the

QUEEN MARY STUART. 337

third stroke ; the headsman then held uj), at the four
corners of the scaffold, a head that had worn two crowns,
as he would have exposed that of the most execrable
villain.

Such was the tragical end of the beautiful Queen of
Scots, in whose attachment to the religion of her birth,
in whose rights to the throne of England, and in whose
talents and beauty, consisted, according to some his-
torians, all her crimes. The sweetness of her disposi-
tion, the graces of her mind, the protection with which
she honoured letters, the success with which she culti-
vated them, her firmness in misfortunes, and her attach-
ment for the religion of her fathers, have rendered her
memory dear to all impartial persons, and especially to
the Catholics, who consider her as having been a martyr
to her religious principles.

She was executed at the age of forty-four, in 1587,
and had passed the half of her days in captivity. Her
destruction, whatever may have been her offences, moral
or political, indelibly stains the character of the famous
Queen Elizabeth.

After recounting the circumstances, and especially
the crimes, attached to this queen's memory by the gene-
rality of historians, it would be doing her an injustice
to omit remarking that there are records in her favour,
which are equally entitled to consideration. Even in

VOL. I.— 29

338 QUEEN MAIIY STUART.

the year of her death a work was published entitled
"Martyrdom of the Queen of Scotland, Dowager of
France, containing a correct Dissertation on the perfidy
done her at the instigation of Elizalietli, by which the
calumnies and false accusations instituted against that
most virtuous and illustrious princess are exposed, and
her innocence substantiated." [EdinhurgJi : 2 vols.
8vo.) As the circumstances therein mentioned were of
recent occurrence, and it would have been hardly pos-
sible to advance false statements at that time with impu-
nity, this work merits some confidence. Also in a volume
entitled " Historical and Critical Researches on the
princij)al Proofs of the Accusations brought against
Mary Stuart, with an accurate examination into the
Histories of Dr. Robertson and Mr. Hume," the truth
of this queen's history is disputed with force and dis-
crimination. This work was translated into the French
language by Edme, in 1772. The author of these
researches says that the correspondence attributed to
her, as it exists at present in a work of Buchanan's, and
believed to be original, is proved beyond doubt to be
apocryphal. He represents the accusers of the queen
as having been themselves the authors of the crime which
they imputed to their sovereign, and of having formed
an association and sold themselves to Elizabeth ; that
the earl of Murray, urged by ambition and the promise

QUEEN MARY STUART. 339

of Elizabeth's assistance, placed liimsclf at the head of
an insurrection for the purpose of killing Darnlev, and
taking possession of the queen's person ; that he was
constantly conspiring until the death of Darnlev, which
was his own act and that of his associates, Bothwell
amongst others ; that, in going to Stirling Castle to visit
her son, Mary was arrested by eight hundred cavaliers,
with Bothwell at their head, and compelled by a threat
of imprisonment to give her hand to that nobleman, who
was afterwards publicly proclaimed the murderer of
Henry Stuai-t, and the queen his accomplice ; by which
apparent criminality of its sovereign the whole of Scot-
land rebelled.

Such are the facts amply detailed in the " Researches"
relative to Mary Stuart, which, if they may be credited
(and the author is supported by extracts which it appears
unreasonable to oppose), throw a new light on the his-
tory of this unfortunate princess, and offer the most
natural explanation of apparent inconsistencies in her
character. One circumstance, at least, in her favour,
is the frankness of Camden, who, although the friend
of Elizabeth, and protected by her, as also a zealous
partisan of the Reformed Church, not only refused to
calumniate the queen of Scotland, but candidly absolved
her from all crime.

After her execution, Mary's corpse was embalmed by

340 QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA.

order of the sheriff of Northampton, and interred in the
cathedral of Peterborough, near the tomb of queen
Catherine of Ai-ragon. In 1G12 James I. transferred
his mother's remains to the royal sepulchre at Westmin-
ster.

Henry III. caused a magnificent funeral procession
to take place in Paris in honour of Mary Stuart, whom
he could neither defend or avenge ; and that vras another
weakness resulting from the disastrous policy of Cathe-
rine de Medicis.

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA.

(Reign of Charles IX.)

Elizabetii was daughter of the emperor Maximilian
II., and of Mary of Austria, granddaughter of Charles
Quint, and was born in 1554.

The negotiations for her marriage with Charles IX.
were prolonged for nine years, during which time Philip
11. of Spain made many attempts to prevent this alliance
of France and Germany, but the politic Catherine de
Medicis and the archbishop of Rhcims triumphed over
all these obstacles.

Villeroi, the secretary of state, was sent to Spain to

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA. 341

redeem the clauses in the contract of the marriage, and
Albert de Gondi, marshal do Retz, solemnly espoused
Elizabeth in the name of his sovereign, Charles IX., in
the year 1570. The elector of Mayence, who pronounced
the nuptial benediction, was charged, in conjunction with
three other dignitaries, to conduct the queen to France.

Notwithstandinn; the calamities Avith which the king-
dom was afHicted, brilliant preparations were made for
Elizabeth's reception. The hing and the queen-^mother
met her at Mezieres, the old fortress of which had been
converted into an enchanting residence by the care and
inventive genius of Catherine. Elizabeth entered Me-
zieres in a carriage drawn by four white horses decorated
with rich housings, and was saluted by a discharge of
musketry and with military music. In the same triumph-
ant manner she passed all through France, receiving
pompous entertainment at every town, and in 1571 was
crowned and made her solemn entry into Paris.

At the period of their marriage Charles IX. was
twenty years of age and Elizabeth sixteen ; she joined
to great physical advantages an amiable disposition and
solid piety. Educated by virtuous parents in the princi-
ples of the most rigid morality, Elizabeth found herself
isolated in the corrupt and infamous court of her husband
and tlie queen-mother, " Bien est vrai, quand elle ^tait
dans de lit ;1 part, ou en cachette, ses rideaux tres-bien
29*

342 QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA.

tir^s, elle se tenait toute„a, gcnoux, et priant Dieu, Tbat-
tant sa poitrine."

Catherine de Medicis considered her daughter-in-law
too virtuous to communicate her intrigues or plots to
her ; and Charles, who honoured those merits in his
wife which he did not possess himself, so carefully con-
cealed the events of the night of St. Bartholomew, that
the young queen was ignorant of the murderous act
until awakened by the noise. On learning the dreadful
cause of the confusion, she hastily inquired if the king
Avas aware of it ; and when informed that Charles IX.
had ordered and assisted in the massacres, Elizabeth
burst into tears, and, throwing herself on her knees,
implored Divine pity and forgiveness for the author of
this dreadful crime.

This queen took no part in the afiairs of government,
but secretly lamented the misfortunes and disorders of
the state, under the administration of a prince whom
she endeavoured to please, although acquainted with his
attachment to another. She passed her time in writing
memoirs on the history of the epoch, and in composing
religious poetry. Bassompierre says that her writings
were very curious, and it is a subject of much regret
that they were suppressed. Elizabeth also spent much
time in devotion, spoke little, and always in Spanish.

She was deeply grieved at the depravity of the women

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA. 343

who surrounded her, and especially her sister-in-law
Margaret de Valois, but was never heard to utter a
jealous reproach against Charles for his infidelity, feel-
ing, no doubt, that such conduct would not remedj^ the
evil. Before his marriage the king had formed an
attachment for Helena Bon de Mes-guillon, daughter of
the governor of Marseilles, and wife of Charles de Gondi
de la Tour, grand master of the wardrobe, who, urged
by jealousy, endeavoured to poison the king, but was
prevented by his wife. It is said that Madame de
Gondi, to revenge this attempt, retaliated in the same
manner upon her husband, and with success. Never-
theless, after the massacres of St. Bartholomew, in which
Madame de Gondi lost a near relation, she coldly replied
to the king's letters : when sought by him in person she
was seized with an involuntary terror, which she could
not repress at the sight of him ; and to avoid his atten-
tions retired to the convent of St. Magloire, where she
obtained absolution from her brother-in-law, Peter de
Gondi, archbishop of Paris.

Charles afterwards attached himself to Marie Touchet,
daughter of a judge of Orleans and of Marie Mathy.
She was born at Gien in 1549, and received a brilliant
education from her father, who was exceedingly clever.
To the charms of agreeable conversation she added
those of person, and nothing could more exactly describe

344 QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA.

her tlian the anagram of her name, Marie Touchet : " ie
cliarme tout.''

At the period when Charles IX. first beheld Marie
the court resided at Blois, so that the near neighbourhood
of Orleans, and the king's numerous hunting excursions,
afforded him many opportunities of seeing the young
Orleannaise. For some time he magnanimously stifled
his passion, but, not finding in the object of it an equally
disinterested auxiliary, he abandoned himself to its
power, and Marie responded, or feigned to respond, to
his attachment.

Charles first appointed her maid of honour to his sister
Margaret de Valois, who professed great friendship for
her. When the picture of his wife. Queen Elizabeth of
Austria, ^Yas sent to the king, Marie, after attentively
examining it, joyfully exclaimed ^'- L' Allemande ne me
fait pas peur.''

Marie is accused of having formed a liaison with Mon-
sieur de Montluc, brother of the archbishop of Valence,
of which the king was informed ; accordingly, when at
supper, Charles took tlie reticule of his favourite, under
pretext of admiring the tissue, and discovered in it a
billet which she had received from tliat gentleman.
Marie immediately threw herself at the king's feet, and
succeeded in obtaining his pardon. Charles IX. 's affec-
tion for Marie Touchet never ceased but with his life,

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA. 345

and in his last moments he charged Monsieur dc la Tour
to recommend her to the protection of the queen-
mother.

She was twenty-five years of age when his death
occurred, but the event did not change her position at
court, for she had been bountifully enriched by Charles,
and the indifference she had always manifested for state
affairs had gained her the attachment of Catherine de
Medicis, who beheld her there without suspicion.

At the death of his wife, Jacqueline de Rohan, the
lord of Balzac d'Entraigues married Marie Touchet, in
1578, and had two daughters by her, Henrietta, mar-
quise de Verneuil, and Marie, who lived for ten years
with the marshal de Bassompierre.

After her marriage Madame d'Entraigues became
strict in her principles of morality, having, it is said,
killed with her own hands one of her pages who attempted
some liberties with her youngest daughter ; nevertheless,
she and her husband suffered the eldest to become the
mistress of Henry IV. for a promise of marriage upon
certain conditions, and the sum of one hundred thousand
crowns.

In 1610, the death of Henry IV. having deprived her
family of all influence at court, Madame d'Entraigues
devoted herself to retirement. Possessed of an exten-
sive library, of v/hich Plutarch was her favourite author,
she passed the remainder of her life in those studies

346 QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA.

Avliicli formed the charm of her solitude, and peaceably
terminated her long career, at the age of eightj-nine, in
the year 1638. She was buried in the convent of the
Minimes in the Place Royale at Paris. Madame d'En- \
traigues had two children by Charles IX.-, one of whom
died young ; the other was Charles de Valois, grand
prior of France, count d'Auvergne, and duke of Angou-
leme.

Although the good queen Elizabeth did not resent
this attachment of Charles, she avoided associating with
the favourite, as well as the court in general ; she op-
posed gentleness to his violence, and the king avowed
that he was unworthy of so virtuous a wife. When,
struck by the avenging hand of Providence, he expiated
his crimes by a frightful disease and the stings of re-
morse, Elizabeth sought, on her knees, by the death-bed
of her husband, to appease, by sincere prayers, the
Divine displeasure ; and the expiring king recommended
his wife to the protection of his successor and the king
of Navarre.

On becoming a widow, in 1574, the queen left the
court for the chateau of Amboise, where her daughter,
Mary Elizabeth, was being educated. After a short
visit to this residence, she quitted France in 1575, and
proceeded to Vienna, the court of her brother Rodolphe,
emperor of Germany ; it was in that city that she founded
the monastery of Saint Claire, where she afterwards re-

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA. 347

sided, and formed, until her death, a model of all the
virtues.

Elizabeth possessed the provinces of Berri, Bourbon,
Forez, and la Marche, which she governed wisely ; she
would not suffer the magistracies to be sold, but charged
her agent in France, Monsieur Busbecq, to select the
most eligible persons for the office. Her revenues were
devoted to acts of utility and charity ; each year she
generously endowed a certain number of young ladies
who were without fortune ; and erected an establishment
for those to retire to who had formed dishonourable
attachments.

Her sister-in-law, Margaret de A^alois, who was detained
at the chateau d'Usson in a state of restriction border-
ing on indigence, by the severity of her offended hus-
band, Henry IV., owed many benefits to her generosity.
Elizabeth shared her fortune with Margaret, who, though
she had lived a life of immorality and depravity, was
sensible of the worth and merits of that queen, to whom
she was most grateful, and whose death so deeply affect-
ed her, that her grief carried her to the borders of the
tomb.

Elizabeth was perseveringly asked in marriage by
Philip II., king of Spain, and her brother-in-law, Henry
III. of France ; but she refused a second marriage, and
died, at tlte age of thirty-eight, in the convent of Saint
Clare in Vienna, where she was buried in 1592.

348 QUEEN LOUIS.i OF LORRAINE.

QUEEN LOUISA 0±' LORRAINE.

(Reign of Henry III.)

Henry III., -wlio was one of the most capricious of
princes, "was, Avlicn duke of Anjou, affianced first to
Catherine of Navarre, sister of Henry IV., and after-
wards to Anne, daughter of the king of Poland, -whom
he succeeded to that throne. The first marriage was
broken off by Catherine de Mcdicis, as it did not accord
with her political views ; Anne's extreme ugliness caused
the rupture of the second by the prince himself, who
sighed for the hand of the beautiful Elizabeth, sister to
the king of Sweden, but the difference of their religion
placed an obstacle to that union, and Henry next declared
the princess of Conde the only woman worth loving.

Brantome says that Mary de Cleves, princess of
Condd, and her two sisters, the duchesses of Nevers and
Guise, all daughters of Francis de Cleves and Margaret
de Bourbon Vendome, were surnamed the three Graces.
The young Mary de Cleves was given in marriage to her
cousin, Henry I. prince de Condd, in 1572, in order
that by her charms and persuasions he might be con-
verted to the Catholic religion.

The duke of Anjou, then young, handsome, and a
conqueror, was also very amiable, and at that time pos-

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 349

sessed the energy of cliaractei- and nobility of sentiment
■VN-hich he afterwards unfortunately lost. By his con-
quests at Jarnac and Montcontour, he gained the admi-
ration of all Europe, who formed hopes which in the
end proved vain illusions. This prince was greatly cap-
tivated with the attractions of the princess de Conde,
and used every effort to obtain a responding sentiment ;
he even procured the assistance of his sister Margaret
queen of Navarre, and of the duke de Guise, Mary's
brother-in-law, but without success, although she was not
insensible to his protestations for her.

While Henry was thus eagerly pursuing the princess
de Conde, Catherine de Medicis, who feared that his
attachment would induce him to wed her, if her mar-
riage was dissolved on account of her husband's heresy,
and who thought also that her own power would be
weakened should the princess be raised to the throne,
introduced to his notice one of her most beautiful maids
of honour, named Ren(5e de Rieux de Chdteauneuf,
daughter of an illustrious family of Brittany, John de
Rieux and Beatrix de Touchercs. Mademoiselle Cha,-
teauneuf, who was the very type of beauty, had a com-
plexion of dazzling white, and a profusion of fair hair.
This young lady, who obtained universal admiration,
attracted also the regard of the prince, who composed
sonnets to her charms and made her presents , the young

VOL. I. — 30

350 QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE.

laclj replied to bis letters in verse, and this sentimental
correspondence continued until the intimacy of the prince
and Rende de Rieux was made public.

Mademoiselle do Chateauneuf continued to retain the
volatile heart of Henry until, when elected king of Po-
land, he was obliged, in 1573, to take possession of his
kingdom. On quitting France he confided all his jewels
to Rende, with whom he constantly kept up an affection-
ate correspondence, and it is said, signed his letters with
his blood.

Henry would, however, have resigned the crown of
Poland for the possession of the princess de Cond^,
whose memory haunted him ; he paid little or no atten-
tion to the affairs of his government, but passed his time
in writing long letters to her as well as to Mademoiselle
de Chateauneuf.

The princess lived in great retirement during Henry's
absence, and devoted her existence to cherishing the
recollection of a love which she had so vigorously com-
bated. At length the death of Charles IX. brought
Henry back to France, where he ascended the throne
under the title of Henry III. in 1574.

Although the king lived a disgraceful life with his
favourites, he still reserved his sentiments of affection
and esteem for the princess de Cond^, and expressed
his desire to have her marriaffe dissolved, in order to

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 351

espouse her. The queen-mother made every effort to
dissuade her son from this project, but in vain. The
unfortunate princess died suddenly at the Louvre, iu
1574, at the age of eighteen, poisoned, it is said, during
her accouchement, after having given birth to Catheriiic
de Bourbon de Gondii ; and this was doubtless another
catastrophe resulting from the politic machinations of
Catherine de Medicis.

On receiving the news of her death, the king fell down
senseless, and great fears were entertained for his life.
For three days he refused to take food ; he put on deep
mourning and wore a long rosary of small ivory skulls ;
he also had deaths' heads painted on his shoe ribbons.

At length, time, which triumphs over all, restored him
to himself; indifference was soon begotten, and to indif-
ference succeeded forgetfulness ; moreover, Henry re-
membered with satisfaction the attractions of Louisa of
Lorraine, whom he had seen at Nancy, at the court of
her cousin, Charles III. duke of Lorraine, when on his
journey to take possession of the crown of Poland.
Louisa was admired for the regularity of her features,
the elegance of her figure, her fair complexion, and
sweet disposition, but she possessed little talent.

This princess was the eldest daughter of Louis count
de Vaudemont, duke de Mercoeur, of the house of Lor-
raine, and of Margaret d'Egmont ; she was born at No-

353 QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE.

m€ny in 155-1. Her first misfortune was the loss of her
mothex", ■\^■hose death occuiTed at her birth, but her place
Avas supplied by the affectionate care of her father's
second TN'ife, Jane of Savoy. The ignorance of the age
was such that her "whole education consisted in her ac-
quaintance with the Lives of the Saints ; and, surrounded
bj governesses who filled her young mind with supersti-
tious notions, Louisa mingled erroneous belief with her
pious principles.

Her hand was sought by the counts of Luxembourg
and Salm ; but on Henry's sending his friend du Gast,
in 1575, with a proposal of marriage, the offer was ac-
cepted, for Louisa had been less fortunate in her father's
third wife, Catherine d'Aumale, who had treated her
unkindly, but who, on learning the elevation of her
daughter-in-law, endeavoured to repair the wrong, by
being the first to announce to her that she was queen
of France, and rendering her homage ; she even begged
forgiveness for the wrongs she had done her, and im-
plored her influence in favour of her children.

Louisa could not recover from her astonishment until
the unanimous compliments she received from all sides
realized her dream of happiness, which had nearly va-
nished by the coquetry of her cousin, Mary d'Elbeuf, who
accompanied her to Ehcims to be present at her mar-
riage and consecration. Mademoiselle d'Elbeuf, who was

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 353

as artful as Louisa was innocent, endeavoured to capti-
vate the weak king by exercising all the seductions of
her graces and intellect ; and. astonished at the progress
she made towards the monarch's heart, pushed her
intrigues so far that, had it not been for the spirit of the
quick-sighted and all-powerful Catherine de Medicis. who
desired to have a slave upon the throne, and not a rival,
she would have succeeded in obtaining the crown destined
for her cousin. She persuaded the king that Louisa's
calmness proceeded from indifference, and that she sac-
rificed by her marriage with him her love for the count
de Salm, and that grief robbed the throne of its charms
in her eyes ; however, the queen-mother triumphed, and
the marriage was celebrated with great magnificence in
the cathedral of Rheims in 1575.

The king was so captivated with Louisa's appearance
in her royal robes, that he passed the greater part of the
day of her consecration in assisting at her toilette, which
occupied so long a time that the ceremony did not take
place until five o'clock in the evening.

At this epoch luxury made great innovations in tlie
style of dress worn at court. Catherine de Medicis had
brought from Italy false hair, paint, patches, and per-
fumes ; the king, Henry III., covered his face with a
cosmetic preparation at night, which in the morning was
washed off. The ladies also, to preserve their complex-
30*

354 QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE.

ions, wore a species of mask, called '"^loups" on account
of their hideous aspect ; and that frivolous fashion lasted
until the time of Louis XIV., who, on taking the reins
of government, commenced Ids career of gallantry, and
introduced a more refined taste.

The king declared he had never seen anything half so
beautiful as his royal spouse ; but her manners were
cold and reserved in the midst of all her grandeur, and
when the novelty which the sight of her beautiful face
first produced had worn ofi", Henry ceased to attribute
her unimpassioned temperament to gentleness and
modesty.

Catherine de Medicis also, fearing the influence of the
Guises in opposition to her ambitious views, endeavoured
to break the union she had assisted to form. She had
not much difficulty in persuading the king that the
queen's insensibility arose from her constant attachment
to the count de Salm ; and on the other side, she per-
suaded Louisa's confessor to make her understand that
she should not shut her eyes upon the king's infidelities,
as they were an offence to religion as well as to conjugal
faith.

The queen, who was as credulous as she was devout,
was the victim of these perfidious manoeuvres. She did
not hesitate to complain to her husband of his assiduities
to Mademoiselle Chateauneuf ; and the king, who was

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 355

astonished that a princess Tvhom he had raised to the
throne shouki presume to oppose his inclination, attri-
buted it to the advice of her former governess, Madame
de Champi, -whom, in spite of the queen's tears and
prayers, he dismissed from court, as well as all the other
yromen of her father's house.

Louisa bore her griefs in solitude, and the king, sur-
rounded by his favourites, grew indifferent to her : far
from trying to regain her husband's heart, shegave her-
self up to practices of devotion, neglected her dress, and
appeared even to forget that she was queen.

The queen-mother, however, from interested motives,
changed her plan, and reconciled the king and queen ;
and Louisa, whose innocence the king had really never
doubted, became his friend and confidant ; there was but
one point on which they differed — Henry considered the
Guises his enemies ; Louisa looked upon them as the
defenders of her religion, and under that idea was inte-
rested in them from her cradle ; and when they were
assassinated by the king's order, Louisa sent a courier
to her brother, the duke de Mercoeur, to warn him, and
thus saved his liberty and perhaps his life.

After the reconciliation of the king and queen, Rcn^e
de Rieux had the imprudence to appear at one of the
court balls in a similar dress, and with the same descrip-
tion of jewels, as the queen ; and this affront so irritated

356 QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE.

Louisa and the queen-mother that Mademoiselle de Ch^
teauneuf received her dismissal.

Henry proposed to the count de Brienne Luxembourg,
who had formerly sought the hand of Louisa of Lorraine,
to marry Ren^e ; he said to that nobleman, " Comte,
j'ai Spouse votre maitresse; il faut que vous ^pousiez
la mienne." This proposal, seriously made, resembled
an order ; the count of Luxembourg respectfully but
proudly declined, and immediately quitted the kingdom.
Henry then projected a marriage for her with Duprat
de Nantouillet, provost of Paris. This man had publicly
calumniated Mademoiselle de Chateauneuf before Henry's
accession, and to revenge the insult, Ren^e, who was one
day riding on horseback and met him on foot, gallopped
over him and trampled him under her horse's hoofs.
She was, however, desirous to marry him when discarded
by the king, but Nantouillet refused her hand ; to resent
which refusal, the kings of France and Navarre, having
requested to sup with the provost, pillaged his house ;
upon which occasion he lost a valuable gold vase and
fifty thousand livres.

Mademoiselle de Chateauneuf's pride did not prevent
her from offering her hand to a Florentine, who married
her, but whom she afterwards stabbed with her own
hands in a fit of jealousy in 1577.

The king, who cherished the recollection of his attach-

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 357

raent to Rea^e de Rieux, suffered this crime to go un-
punished, and even gave her the lands of Castellanne
when she contracted a second marriage with the baron
Philip d'Altonvittis. This husband also perished by
%'iolence, having conspired against Henry d'Angouleme,
grand prior of France, who discovered the plot and shot
him in 1586. The baroness de Castellanne retired to her
castle in the Alps, and died at an advanced age, leaving
one daughter, Marseille d'Altonvittis, who was celebrated
for her poetical genius.

After the disgrace of Mademoiselle de Chateauneuf,
Madame de Sauves, who was surnamed the " Circe"
attracted the attention of Henry III., who had rivals in
the duke de Guise and the king of Navarre ; and this
lady's address alone prevented these three illustrious
princes from having a serious dispute on her account.
She was born in 1551, and was daughter of Beauve de
Semblan^ay, who was superintendent of finances under
three kings— Charles VIII., Louis XII., and Francis I.
When very young she was married to the secretary of
state, Simon de Fizes, baron de Sauves, and possessed
a handsome fortune in addition to her personal advan-
tages, and, being a great adept in intrigue, was a favour-
ite of Catherine de Medicis, who appointed her, " dame
d'atours."

Henry, king of Navarre, who went to the court of

358 QUEEN LOUISA OF LOERAIXE.

■ France for the purpose of marrying Margaret de Valoig,
was much struck with the beauty of Madame de Sauves,
who accepted his homage. His departure left the duke
of Guise in possession of the fair Charlotte de Sauves,
who would have saved his life if he would have listened
to her advice, as she proceeded to Blois, where the king
had convoked the states, for the express purpose of per-
suading him to quit the town, having had reason to fear_
the monarch's vengeance towards her lover. The duke
was, however, deaf to her tears and prayers, and, half
an hour after he quitted her on the following morning,
was assassinated. Madame de Sauves then devoted her-
self to Henry III., whose death in 1576 put an end to
her attachment; but being still young and rich, she
married Francis de la Tremouille, marquis de Noirmou-
tier, by whom she had a son, Louis de la Tremouille.
She never forgot the sentiments she had entertained for
the king of Navarre after he became king of France,
for to her advice he owed a part of the success he ob-
tained at the battle of Coutras. The marchioness of
Noirmouticr died at Paris in 1617, aged sixty-six years.
Henry III., on proceeding with an army to oppose
the League, advised the queen to retire to Chinon in
Touraine, where she lived in retirement, and with great
simplicity. She dressed plainly and modestly, and daily
visited the prisoners, for whom she established Divine

QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE. 359

worship. It was in this residence that she was informed
of the king's assassination at Saint Cloud, in 1589, by
the monk James Clement. On receiving the news she
fainted, and was for some days dangerously ill. When
dying, Henry traced with a feeble and trembling hand
these lines: — "Ma mie, vous avez su comme j'ai 4t6
mis^rablement bless<^ ; j'espere que ce ne sera rien ;
priez Dieu pour moi ; adieu, ma mie !"

This catastrophe excited a degree of energy in the
heart of Louisa of which she had hitherto appeared in-
capable. She conceived a detestation for the League,
and the fallacious principles which it fomented under
the veil of religion. Convinced that her relations had
instigated the murder of her husband, she vowed an
eternal hatred to them, refused to see them, and unceas-
ingly solicited their punishment. When Henry lY.'g
authority was established, she entreated him and the
parliament to grant her justice for his death ; and in
1594, at a public assemblage in Mantes, solemnly renewed
her demand for the punishment of the king's murdei'ers.

Until the time of the revolution, Louisa's cabinet at
Chenonceaux was still seen as she had left it ; the hang-
ings were, it is said, black and stained with tears. Her
latter years were devoted to pious foundations and pilgrim-
ages, and she submitted to fasts and austerities which
abridpred her days. She died at the chateau of Moulins

360 QUEEN LOUISA OF LORRAINE.

in 1601, and was interred at Paris in the convent of the
Capucines, which Henry IV. built at her request. During
the revolution her remains were transferred to the ceme-
tery of I'Est ; and afterwards, in 1817, from thence to
the royal sepulchre of Saint Denis.

She had but one child, who died at its birth. The
streets of Paris were first lighted by order of this queen,
who established the custom of fixing the images of saints
at the corners of the streets, in honour of which statues,
lamps were burnt near them throughout the night.

With Henry III. ends the branch of Valois, whose
era is remarkable for the two distinctive characteristics
of cruelty and licentiousness.

END OF VOL. I.

b^^f

MEMOIRS

QUEENS OF FRANCE.

INCLUDING

A MEMOIR OF HER MAJESTY,

THE

LATE QUEEN OF THE FRENCH

(MARIE AMELIE).

BY MRS. FORBES BUSH.

FROM THE SECOND LONDON EDITION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.— VOL. II.

PHILADELPHIA:
A. HART, LATE CAREY & HART.

1852.

Printed by T. K, & P, G. Collins.

TO HER MAJESTY,

QUEEN OF THE FRENCH,

THESE MEMOIRS

ARE, BY GEACIOUS PERMISSION,
INSCRIBED BY
HER MAJESTY'S FAITHFUL AND OBLIGED SERVANT,

ANNIE FORBES BUSH.

CONTENTS.

Queen Margaret De Valois .

Queen and Regent Mary de Medicis

Queen and Regent Anne of Austria

Queen Maria Theresa .

Madame de Maintenon

Queen Marie Leckzinsky

Queen Marie Antoinette

Queen and Empress Josephine

Empress, Queen, and Regent, Marie Louise

Queen Marie Amelie ....

13

56
108
143
182
211
2G1
289
323
334

(3)

QUEENS OF FRANCE.

BRANCH OF BOURBOX.

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

(Reign of Ilem-y IV.)

Queen Margaret de Valois was first ^Yife of Henry
the Great, and daughter of Henry II. and Catherine de
Medicis ; she was born in 1552, and celebrated for her
beauty, talents, and vices. Margaret possessed Louis
XII. 's easy good-nature, Francis I.'s taste for literature,
and Henry III.'s superstitious piety; but she had also
very depraved principles, and at an early age plunged
into every species of disorder, having neither good ex-
ample nor strength of mind to resist the seduction of
vice in the midst of the most corrupt court in the world.

Like her brother, Henry III., she united licentiousness
and devotion ; for at church, and in the many religious
processions in which she assisted, she appeared a model

VOL. IT.— 2 (13)

14 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

of pletj. Margaret's features were not regular, but very
pleasing ; she had soft and expressive eyes, graceful
movements, and superb hair ; she devoted much time to
her toilette, in which she displayed great taste, and v/as
the first who introduced the fashion of wearing gems
and flowers in the hair.

Catherine de Medicis, proud of the eulogium which
was bestowed on her daughter, conducted her to all
places which she herself frequented. She took her to
the interview at Bayonne, and Margaret, in her memoirs,
has given a lively description of the entertainments
which took place there ; she also mentions the part she
played in the political intrigues of the time, and the
especial favour which her mother bestowed on her third
son, the duke of Anjou.

The duke of Guise Avas very much attached to Mar-
garet de Valois, and would have married her, although
well acquainted with her disorderly conduct ; but she
was desirous of wearing a crown, and consented to be-
come the wife of Sebastian, king of Portugal. This
marriage was prevented by the king of Spain, v,'ho was
jealous of the extension of power which Portugal would
have gained by an alliance with France. At that time
the Huguenots, who had been in constant warfare with
the members of the royal house, were allured to Paris
by the engagement Catherine de Medicis entered into
with their chief, the young king of Navarre, to give him

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 15

her daughter Margaret de Valois in marriage ; and the
princess, though scrupulous in her religious observances,
did not object to ally herself to a Protestant prince.

The marriage was celebrated in 1572, with much cere-
mony. On account of the difference in their religion,,
the Cardinal de Bourbon pronounced the nuptial benedic-
tion at the church of Notre Dame de Paris, after which
Henry conducted his bride to the altar, and while mass
was repeating, walked in the cloister with some of the
nobles of his court. After the conclusion of the cere-
mony the king of Navarre accompanied Margaret to the
Episcopal Palace, where, as usual, a sumptuous banquet
was given to the newly married pair. The queen-mother
provided most brilliant fetes on the occasion of this
marriage, which continued for seven days, and it was
in the midst of these pleasures that she prepared the
horrible sacrifices of Saint Bartholomew.

On the evening previous to the massacres, Catherine,
finding it late, recommended Margaret to retire. " Commc
je faisais la reverence," says Margaret in her memoirs,
" ma soeur de Lorraine me prend par le bras, m'arrcte,
ot se prenant fort a pleurer, me dit : 'Mon Dieu, ma
soeur, n'y allez pas.' " Catherine was irritated, and
reprimanded her daughter for her imprudence ; to which
Claude replied, " Quelle apparence, de 1' envoy er ainsi
sacrifier ? S'ils ddcouvrent quelque chose, ils se venge-

16 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

ront sur elle." This altercation concluded with another
recommendation to Margaret to retire. Her sister burst
into tears, and embraced her. " Et moi," she continues,
" je m'en alia toute transie et toute ^perdue, sans pouvoir
imaginer ce que j'avais a craindre." She then relates
that early in the morning the king of Navarre rose
and went out, accompanied by several of his gentlemen,
after which she composed herself to sleep, but was soon
suddenly aroused by sinister cries ; the door of her
apartment was forced open, and a young man named
Tersan rushed in covered with blood, and followed by
four archers ; he seized the princess in his arms, and she
protected him from their blows. At length the captain
of the guard arrived, dismissed his archers, and at
Margaret's request accorded him his life ; he then con-
ducted the queen of Navarre to her sister's apartment,
and as she entered the antechamber of the duchess of
Lorraine a gentleman was killed by the stroke of a hal-
berd not three paces from her, Avhen, overwhelmed with
the sight of such horrors, she fell insensible into the
arms of Nancay, the captain of the guard. Charles
IX. sent for the king of Navarre and the prince de Cond^,
and fiercely informed them that they should have three
days to consider whether they would abjure the Protest-
ant faith ; which if they refused their lives should pay
the forfeit of their obstinacy.

QUEEN MAEGATIET DE VALOIS. 17

The marriage of the king of Navarre with Margaret
had been the pretext and means by which the Pro-
testants were assembled at Paris ; but their leaders, the
king of Navarre and prince de Conde, were spared, and
Catherine de Medicis, who was grieved to lose her prey,
insinuated to Margaret that her marriage should be an-
nulled, not only because Henry was her cousin, but also
because she was exposing herself to eternal condemnation
for living with a Protestant, and offered her the means of
breaking off the marriage if she would consent to it. But
Margaret, although very fanatical, and moreover indiffer-
ent to her husband, remembered that this rupture would
deprive her of the crown of Navarre, and indignantly
rejected her mother's insidious offer : to this refusal
France is indebted for the paternal reign of Henry the
Great.

Although Margaret was one of the handsomest and
most clever women in Europe, and Henry possessed
many excellent qualities, there was great incompatibility
between them, and as their marriage was entirely poli-
tical, it was not long before their mutual indifference
became mutual aversion. Charles IX. said, " En don-
nant ma soeur Margot au Roi de Navarre, je la donne t\
tons les Hugeunots du royaume." For in fact this prin-
cess put no bounds to her disgraceful conduct, which

18 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

•was publicly commented on. Jane d'Albret, in speaking
to her son of his future wife, made this remark : " Elle
est bien avis(^e, mais nourrie en la plus maudite et cor-
rompice compagnie qui fut jamais." Happily for her
peace, the amiable and clear-sighted mother had ceased
to exist before the accomplishment of the evils ■which
resulted from this ill-judged union.

Henry of Navarre and the duke of Alengon secretly
swore to revenge the death of Coligny and the other
victims of Saint Bartholomew. Two of the duke of
Anjou's favourite friends were to head the troops against
the queen-mother, but the conspiracy was discovered,
the manoeuvres of Henry were made known, and the two
favourites. La Mole and Coconas, were arrested. Mar-
garet wrote a memoir on the occasion, in which she
justifies her husband without compromising his royal
dignity, but the merit of this action is diminished by the
circumstance of her defence having been principally
dictated by her affection for La Mole, whom she wished
to save : but she failed in her attempt ; he and Coconas
were decapitated, and on the scaffold the former recom-
mended himself to the mercy of heaven and the prayers
of Margaret de Valois. This princess, in company with
her sister the duchess of Cleves, who was attached to
Coconas, went after night-fall to seek the heads of these

QUEEN MARGARET DE V ALOIS. 19

two gentlemen, ^vIlicll tliey embalmed, and interred in
Saint Martin's monastery.

On the occasion of the duke of Anjou's accession to
the throne of Poland, the ambassadors were struck with
astonishment at Margaret's abilities, she having been
the only one at court capable of replying to the harangue
of the bishop of Cracow in Latin, which was a subject
of great triumph to a princess who so much loved admi-
ration.

The duke of Alencon, Henry of Navarre, and the
prince of Condd again raised the standard of revolt in
1576, and although the queen of Navarre took no part
in the intrigues, she was nevertheless retained a prisoner
in her apartment at the Louvre ; but this captivity was
of short duration, and it gave her an opportunity to
favour the escape of her brother, the duke of Alencon ;
after which, Henry having retired to Navarre, she begged
permission to be allowed to join him. During the jour-
ney Margaret received great honours, and was magni-
ficently entertained at all the towns through which she
passed, until she reached Beam, Avhcre she lived for five
years on tolerable terms with her husband. She quietly
sufiered the king's numerous infidelities, and even treated
some of his favourites with complaisance. She could
not, however, obtain any indulgence from him in regard
of tlie Catholic religion, which was a circumstance of

20 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

great grief to her. At Pau there was not one Catholic
chapel, and Margaret was obliged to hear mass in a
small room of the palace which was not capable of con-
taining more than seven or eight persons ; and moreover,
to prevent the Catholics from attending divine worship
there, the bridge of the chateau was drawn up during
the service.

On one occasion several Catholics, whose zeal Avas ex-
cited by the obstacles they met with, succeeded in forc-
ing their way into the little sanctuary ; upon which the
king's secretary, Monsieur Dupin, being informed of it,
arrested and sent them to prison. Margaret, who was
greatly incensed at this circumstance, complained to the
king, and compromised her dignity by declaring that
she would quit the court if Dupin was not dismissed ;
accordingly Henry discharged his secretary, but he en-
tertained great resentment towards Margaret for impos-
ing this sacrifice on him.

At the re-commencement of the war between the Pro-
testants and Catholics, in 1580, Margaret saw her favour-
ite brother take up arms against her husband. Marshal
Biron penetrated into Guyenne, and hostilities were car-
ried as far as Nerac, the residence of the court of Na-
varre : the queen, who was fondly attached to her bro-
ther, mounted the walls, and anxiously watched the

QUEEN MARGARET DE YALOIS. 21

movements of the two armies, regardless of the fire
which Biron directed towards the chateau,

Catherine de Medicis, willing to withdraw all that she
could from the Protestant party, wrote to the queen of
Navarre in 1581, and invited her to the court of France ;
and Margaret, who loved change, and who had met with
vexation and disappointments at Narec, voluntarily
quitted that residence. She could not, however, put any
restraint upon her conduct when at the court of France,
and eighteen months after her separation, gave birth to
a son, afterwards the confessor of the Marchioness de
Verneuil; upon which occasion, Henry III., forgetting
that she was his sister and the queen of Navarre, and
that he had formerly encom-aged her in her extravagant
and intemperate behaviour, loaded her with reproaches,
and ordered her to return immediately to her husband.
After receiving this rigorous command, Margaret left
Paris without escort or equipage, and almost without
resources, declaring that there had never been two .such
unhappy queens in the world as her sister-in-law Mary
Stuart and herself. To add to her humiliations and
grievances, her litter was stopped on the journey to Na-
varre by a guard of King Henry III.'s archers, and two
of her maids of honour, Mademoiselles Bcthune and
Duras, were grossly insulted.

Margaret met with a cold and haughty reception from

22 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

her husband, who bitterly reproached her for her dis-
graceful conduct when in France, and deservedly reviled
her on account of the birth of her child dui'ing her visit
there : by a singular fatality, that child was afterwards
one of the agents of the conspiracy which shortened
Henry IV. 's days. Overwhelmed with her husband's
disdain, Margaret left Narec furtively and repaired to
Agen, where to obtain a cordial reception, she announced
to the Catholics, who were numerous there, that she fled
from the king because he had been excommunicated by
the pope, Sixtus Quint ; accordingly the town of Agen
opened its gates to the queen, who made war against
her husband ; and Margaret, who from a religious scru-
ple could not endure the sight of an excommunicated
hero, led a most dissolute life at Agen.

At length the place was taken by Marshal do Matignon,
in the j'^ear 1585, and Margaret was obliged to escape
by mounting Monsieur de Lignerac's horse, upon which
she fled to Auvergne ; but, repulsed by the inliabitants
of Carlat, she was arrested by the Marquis of Canillac,
who conducted her to the fortress of Usson. In this
castle she was condemned to drag on a life of captivity,
although only thirty-five years of age, and still beautiful.
However, she was not discouraged : she made herself so
agreeable to the governor, that after a short period her
jailer became her prisoner, and the Marquis de Canillac

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 23

was so captivated with his captive, that she became mis-
tress of the fortress of Usson, from which she drove the
Marquis, and afterwards fortified the castle in such a
manner that it was ahnost impregnable, and in it she
remained peaceably for twenty years.

Certainly Margaret had had much to complain of in the
infidelity of her husband, and it is not Avithout astonish-
ment, and even compassion, that a great king and the
father of his people, is heard to confess that he is inca-
pable of conquering weaknesses which injure himself
alone. "I do not deny," said he, " that there is much
truth in the reproaches I have received respecting my
love for sumptuous works, play, women, and balls, at
Avhich I may be seen Avith my gray beard, as vain and
as much delighted at having received a ring from some
pretty AYoman as I was in my youtli ; but I think I ought
to be pardoned for these follies, Avhich are no injury to
my people, by way of compensation for all the troubles
I experienced until I Avas fifty years of age."

Indeed he never was without favourites until the day
of his death, and with the Bourbons commenced those
contagious examples knoAvn under the specious name of
gallantry. The first favourite of Henry mentioned in
history is Mademoiselle DaA'ila, sister to the historian
of the same name, but improperly known under that of
Dayalle ; she was a Greek, and came to seek an asylum

24 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

in the court of Catherine de Medicis after the massacres
of Cyprus ; she afterwards married an officer named de
llemeri, one of the bravest men in the French army.
The beautiful Greek was replaced by Mademoiselle de
Rebours, and Henry's attentions to her at Pau in the
presence of queen Margaret were so marked, that she
expressed her dissatisfaction, and bitterly complained
of the conduct of Mademoiselle de Rebours. The king
yielded to his wife's supplications, by obliging the favour-
ite to quit the court : the deserted one retired to Chenon-
ceaux, where she died shortly after.

In 1585 the king of Navarre had a son by the gar-
dener of Aret's beautiful daughter, from whom the poet
Dufresny boasts of having descended. Voltaire affirms
that Louis XIV. found a great resemblance between
Dufresny and Henry IV.

After the dismissal of Mademoiselle de Rebours, Henry
formed an attachment for one of Margaret's maids of
honour, of whom the queen was very fond. This was
Frances de Montmorenci Fosseux, who was daughter of
Peter I., baron de Montmorenci, born in 1564. Frances,
who was only fifteen years of age, was much flattered
by the regard of her sovereign, and too weak to resist
the temptations of ambition. The duke of Alengon, who
also offered her some attentions, excited Henry's jealousy,
which was the cause of a lasting; disunion between these

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 25

t^YO princes, for the duke reclaimed some towns from
the king of Navarre, and on Henry's refusal to yield
them, commenced a campaign against him; and this quar-
rel, which caused much bloodshed, was called '"''la guerre
des amoureux/'

Mademoiselle de Montmorenci Fosseux offended the
queen by forgetting the deference which was due to her
rank. Margaret, however, displayed one proof of the
goodness of her heart by attending her most carefully
at the king's request, when a serious illness was the re-
sult of the birth of a son ; but as soon as she was out of
danger she proudly refused to see her again. The king,
instead of appreciating the queen's conduct on this occa-
sion, was weak enough to feel offended, and Margaret
received many mortifications from her husband at the
instigation of Mademoiselle de Montmorenci Fosseux,
who proved ungrateful for the goodness she had received
from her. This young lady possessed the heart of her
sovereign during six years ; but constancy was not
amongst Henry's numerous good qualities, and Frances
perceived that the Countess de Guiche had replaced her
in his affections ; .she therefore contracted a more solid
and honourable alliance in marrying Francis de Broc,
lord of Saint Mars. The time of her death is unknown.

Diana d'Andouins, Countess de Guiche, known under
the name of " ?a belle Corisande," was daughter of the

VOL. II. — 3

26 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

Viscount Paul de Louvigny d'Andouins de Lescun, and
the wife of Piiilibert de Grammont, count de Guiche,
governor of Bayonne, and one of Henry IV.'s most
devoted servants. During the life of her husband, the
countess, who possessed a firm and superior mind, deter-
minatelj refused to listen to Henry's overtures, but
showed her regard for him in offering most useful advice.
The count de Guiche havina; been killed at the siege of
Fere in 1580, the king addressed most affectionate and
consolatory letters to her, some of which are still pre-
served. In one of them he depicts the beauty of the
island of Marans, the infinite number of beautiful birds
which sing in its groves, and whose plumage he frequently
sent to her ; one of these billets finishes with these words :
" Mon ame .... croyez ma fidelity etre blanche et
sans tache ; il n'en fut jamais de pareille. Si cela vous
porte contentement, vivez heureuse. — Henri."

The promises of the good king were doubtless, as he
confessed, beyond his power to maintain ; for he com-
mitted a serious fault in neglecting to profit by his advan-
tages against Marshal de Matignon after the siege of du
Catelet in 1586, by his anxiety to visit the countess ; and
instead of pursuing the enemy after the victory of Cou-
tras in 1588, he left his army, in opposition to the
entreaties of the prince de Condd, to go and lay his

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 27

Standards, banners, colours, and other trophies of victory
at the feet of " la belle Corisande."

Henry, in compliance with the urgent insinuations
of the countess de Guiche, would have procured a divorce
from Margaret and married her, had it not been for the
wise and prudent advice of the strict and virtuous
d'Aubigne, who obtained the king's promise to wait two
years before he formed that alliance. Some time before
the expiration of the two years, the king had become
indifferent to her, and a relation of the countess (the
marchioness de Parabere) ventured to point out to the
king the cruelty of his conduct towards her ; but Henry,
whose volatile heart had flown elsewhere, was content to
promise her all the friendship which she so well merited.
He was faithful to his promise, and received from the
countess de Guiche many good offices on his various
expeditions ; for she sold her diamonds to provide the
king with money, and mortgaged her lands in order to
send him the succour of 2400 Gascons, whom she armed
and equipped at her own expense.

She never contracted ji second alliance, and long after
she had lost all personal attractions, Henry continued
his correspondence with her, in Avhich he invariably
assured her of the attachment he felt for her and her
family.

The countess de Guiche died in 1G20, at the age of

28 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

sixty-nine, and left two children by the count de Guiclie —
Antoine de Guiche, and a daughter who married Nonpar
de Caumont, count de Lauzon.

In the midst of all the corruption of the courts of
France and Navarre, history affords us the names of
some women truly worthy of eulogium, who preserved
their faith, honour, and disinterestedness among all
temptations, and whose virtue and integrity the king
himself extolled and recompensed. Such were Madame
de Boinville, the countess de Guercheville, the duchess
de Never, and Catherine de Rohan.

Antoinette de Pons, countess de Guercheville, was
the wife of Henry de Silly, count de la Roche-Guy on.
When the king first beheld her during the campaign of
Normandy, which occurred in 1590, two years after his
accession to the throne of France, she was a widow,
and living in retirement upon one of her estates with
her son.

Young and handsome, she had acquired polished and
elegant manners at the court of Henry III., and Henry
IV. offered her his homage ; doubtless Madame de
Guercheville was much flattered by the king's declara-
tion, but she was content with telling him so, and per-
severingly rejected his presents and offers.

Henry, who was equally persevering, had recourse to
a stratagem. Having gone with a hunting-party to the

QUEEN MARGARET DE YALOIS. 29

neiglibourliood of Roche-Guyon, lie sent a gentleman to
request the countess to afford them an asylum for the
night ; and Madame de Guercheville warmly replied that
she accepted the honour he offered her with much plea-
sure. Accordingly she prepared a magnificent supper,
brilliantly illuminated all the rooms and windows of the
chateau with torches, and dressed herself in superb
attire ; she then went to receive the sovereign at the
principal gate, accompanied by her women and some
gentlemen of the neighbourhood ; and, after having thus
courteously performed the honours of her house, she pro-
ceeded to step into her carriage and leave the chateau.

"What, madame," said the king, "do I drive you
from your own house ?"

" Sire," she replied firmly, "a king should be master
of all, in whatever part of his states he may happen to
be, and I leave because I fear that I may have something
to refuse you here."

She accordingly left the house and passed the night
with a relation at some leagues' distance. Henry,
who was pleased with the countess's virtue and spirit,
but disappointed at his ill success, offered her his hand,
but, to his infinite astonishment, Madame de Guerche-
ville replied, " Sire, my family is not sufficiently noble
for me to be your wife, and I will not be your mistress."
— " Since you are so honourable a lady," replied the king,
3*

30 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

" jou sliall be the ladj of honour to my wife." He kept
liis promise, for, when he married Marie de Medicis in
1600, he named the countess her first " dame d'lion-
ncur," and sent her to receive the new queen at Mar-
seilles.

Madame de Guercheville afterwards married Charles
Duplessis, count of Beaumont, governor of Paris, and
sire of Liancourt, and the king presented the bride to
her husband at the altar. The name of Liancourt she
always refused to assume, because Gabrielle d'Estrees
bore it for some time. The countess lived many years
at the court, where she was esteemed a model of virtue,
and died at an advanced age much rerrretted in 1032,
leaving one son, Roger Duplessis, duke of la Roche-
Guyon, a peer of France ; and a daughter, Gabrielle,
married to the duke of la Rochefoucault. It was Madame
de Guercheville who first introduced the Abbe, who
afterwards became the celebrated cardinal de Richelieu.

Soon after the refusal of the countess de Guercheville,
Marie de Beauvilliers, abbess of Montmartre, sent to
Henry IV. to demand a guard for her convent of the
Benedictines of Montmartre, which was founded in 1133,
by Alice of Savoy, and which, during the long siege of
Paris in 1590, was incessantly intruded on by the king's
soldiers, who introduced every species of disorder, and
excited the inmates to reject her authority. The king

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 31

granted lier demancl, and Marie appeared to accomplish
nothing more than a simple act of duty by going to
express her gratitude for his acquiescence in her -wishes.
Henry, who admired the beautiful young abbess, compli-
mented her, when, forgetting her conventual habit and
her vows, she replied with a tone of coquetry which
encouraged him, and the monarch, although a Protestant,
did not scruple to offer his professions to Mai'ie de Beau-
villiers ; he was not, however, long attached to her, for
he had seen Gabrielle d'Estr^es at Coeuvres, and she had
made so forcible an impression on the susceptible heart
of the monarch, that the easily won abbess was sent back
to Montmartre, wdiere she again assumed the reins of
government at the convent. Some time after Henry
added to her other titles that of abbess des porcherons
et du pont-aux-dames. She lived fifty-nine years in tlie
ruined abbey of Montmartre, for she could not persuade
the king to rebuild the walls which his soldiers bad
destroyed. The greatest disorder prevailed in her con-
vent in consequence, which, aided by several ecclesiastics,
she at length succeeded in reforming, and died peaceably
in 1657, aged eighty-three years.

Although much captivated with Gabrielle d'Estr^es,
Henry IV., who at first received no encouragement from
her, avowed his attachment for Charlotte des Essarts,
daughter of Francis des Essarts, baron of Sautour, who

32 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

was remarkable for lier grace and simplicity, but had
been very indifferently educated.

Before her introduction to the court, she had accom-
panied her aunt, the countess of Beaumont, wife of the
ambassador of England, to that country, and on her
return to France was created countess de Romorantin by
Henry IV. She had two daughters by the king, both
of whom were pronounced legitimate : the eldest, Jane
de Bourbon, was the abbess of Fontevrault, and died at
an extreme old age, after having done honour to the life
and habit she professed by her virtues and talents ; the
second, Mary Henrietta, was abbess of Chelles.

When Henry IV. had succeeded in combating the
scruples of Gabrielle d'Estrees, he raised her to the post
of favourite, and abandoned Mademoiselle des Essarts,
who merited this desertion, having, Avithout regard to
her connexion with the king, encouraged the advances
of the cardinal of Guise, duke of Lorraine, archbishop of
Rheims, with whom she afterwards lived, and who it is
said secretly married her. She had three daughters and
two sons by the cardinal, who was killed at the siege of
Saint Jean d'Angeli. Her desire to legitimate these
children threw her into an intrigue in 1642, the purport
of which was to conciliate the king and the Guises. But
she acted unskilfully, and was moreover deceived by
false friends, who betrayed her confidence ; and, after

QUEEN MAPvOARET DE VALOIS. 33

tlic treaty of Saint Germain, she was disgraced, and
obliged to reside on one of her estates by the cardinal
minister, duke de Richelieu. Her banishment from
court and the defeat of her projects for the legitimacy
of her children caused her much chagrin, and she died
in isolation and exile at the age of eighty in 1651.

Of all Henry IV. 's favourites Gabrielle d'Estrees Avas
the most celebrated. She was daughter of Antony
d'Estrees, marquis of Cosuvres, and was born at the cha-
teau de Cocuvres in 1574. The females of her family
were remarkable for their beauty, but Gabrielle sur-
passed them all.

The authors and poets of her time celebrated her
beauty even after her death. Her head was ornamented
with a great profusion of fair hair, her deep blue eyes
were fringed with long silken lashes, and arched with a
finely pencilled eyebrow ; her delicate and rosy mouth
displayed a fine set of pearly teeth, and her smile be-
tokened sweetness and graciousness ; her form was ele-
gant, and, as she gracefully moved along through groups
of admirers, a tiny and well-shaped foot appeared from
beneath her becoming robes. All her other attractions
accorded with the fascinating ensemble, and the painters
and sculptors of the time considered Gabrielle the most
perfect model that had ever been offered to their art.
The impression which her attractions produced upon the

34 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOTS.

generations who succeeded lier may be imagined on
reading the tribute "whicli Voltaire has rendered to the
memory of this celebrated woman in his poem entitled
the " Henriade."

" D'Estrees ^tait son nom ; la main de la nature
De ses aimables dons la comljla sans mesure.
Telle ne brillait point aux herds de I'Eurotas,
La coupable beaute qui trahit Menelas.
Moius touchante et moins belle, a Tharse on vit paraitre
Celle qui des Romains avait dompte la maitre,
Lovsque les habitans des rives du Cydnus,
L'encensoir a la main, la prirent pour Venus."

Iler father, the marquis d'Estr^es, who perceived the
dangers and seductions with which Gabrielle was sur-
rounded, carefully watched over her, and endeavoured
to inculcate rigid and severe principles of morality into
her mind ; but although she was only thirteen years of
age, she was "well acquainted with her charms: moreover,
she had been brought up in a convent, which is not
always the asylum of virtue.

Previous to her introduction to Henry, Gabrielle had
formed an attachment for the count de Bellegarde, Grantl
Ecuyer of France, an amiable and agreeable young
nobleman, who would no doubt have married her and
preserved her honour, if he had not had the folly to
boast of her beauty to the king, who had never seen her.
Being at Scnlis in the king's apartments when Henry

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 35

was extolling the beauty of Marie de Beauvilliers, he
laughingly informed hiin that the lady of his love (Ga-
brielle d'Estrees) was far more beautiful than his mis-
tress, upon which the king resolved to go with Bellcgarde
to see the boasted beauty, and from that time the Grand
Ecuyer was obliged to sacrifice her. In fact, after his
first visit to Coeuvres in 1590, Henry was desirous of
remaining there, but glory called him aAvay to conquest.

Gabrielle, during the king's absence, rejected the
offers of Henry Orleans, duke of Longueville ; and, still
attached to the duke of Bellegarde, continued to receive
his visits, while Henry was busily engaged in the war.

At length the conqueror of Tori, Avho had nourished
the passion with which the beautiful Gabrielle had in-
spired him, on his first moment of leisure flew to Mantes,
where she was, and was not long in discovering her at-
tachment for the grand ecuyer. Henry, forgetting his
dignity, conducted himself with great violence towards
Bellegarde, and ordered him to renounce her. The de-
spairing lover could not avoid expressing some well-
founded reproaches for the cruelty and tyranny of this
order ; and, seeing that her tears were vain. Mademoi-
selle d'Estrees left Mantes for the chateau de Coeuvres,
where she found herself safe from the king, who wished
to do violence to her heart, and take her affections by
storm.

30 QUEEN MARGARET DE V ALOIS.

Henry IV., whom Gabrielle used to call " mon soldat,"
gave himself up to a most weak and puerile despair ;
history justly reproaches him with having abandoned his
army, to which his presence was most necessary, and,
accompanied by only five gentlemen, passed several
corps of the enemy at night, in order to proceed to the
dwelling of the object of his passion, for whom, at that
moment, he would have compromised the destinies of
France. When the king had arrived at Coeuvres his
danger of discovery was so imminent that he was
obliged to borrow a peasant's dress, and, loaded with a
bundle of straw, he arrived on foot at the chateau.
Gabrielle, who was not pleased at the sight of the
king, whom she did not love, and finding no attraction
in him when equipped in this unfavourable disguise,
received him so badly that her sister, the marchioness
de Villars-Brancas, was obliged to offer apologies and
excuses for her. The young girl, notwithstanding,
rudely quitted the king, which was ail the recompense
he received for the dangerous excursion he had made for
her.

On his return Henry was much more warmly welcomed
by his troops than he had been by his mistress : they
were quite rejoiced at the danger he had escaped, and
his virtuous friends, Sully and Mornay, again gave him

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 37

their wise and serious advice, which he was so apt to
forget.

On a similar occasion his absence caused the escape
of the duke of Parma, who crossed the Seine at Caude-
bec, but for which circumstance his retreat would have
been impossible. At length, to bring Gabrielle to
Mantes, the king sent for the Marquis d'Estrees, who
had hardly arrived there before the fortune of war
required Henry's presence elsewhere. Freed from the
monarch's attentions, Gabrielle again received Belle-
garde's visits with joy. He was not only much younger
than the king, but much more handsome ; he had a
noble head, soft and intelligent eyes, and a martial
deportment.

The duke of Longueville, who had for some time pre-
viously corresponded with Gabrielle, feared to offend his
sovereign by the continuation of an intimacy which might
bring on him his resentment, and consequently requested
Gabrielle to restore him all the letters he had written to
her. Mademoiselle d'Estrees, who had never loved
him, acceded to his wish upon the fair condition that he
would also return all her correspondence to him ; but the
duke, either from self-love, or a desii^e to preserve one
of these precious documents, withheld one which was
written in a somewhat impassioned style ; the vindictive
Gabrielle, who had faithfully performed her part of the

VOL. II. — 4

38 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

agreement, never pardoned her lover's perfidy, and the
duke of Longueville, on entering Doullens, was struck
by a ball in the midst of a volley ^Yhich was fired in his
honour.

The anxious father, who foresaw the intrigues and
temptations that were gathering round Gabrielle, and
thinking that all his vigilance could not preserve her,
resolved to marry her to Nicholas d'Amerval, lord of
Liancourt, who was rich, but possessed of little talent.

Gabrielle, who was only sixteen years of age, vainly
refused this marriage ; her father insisted on it, and she
thought that nothing but royal power could interfere to
prevent the union : she therefore begged the protection
of the king, who was persuaded that her renunciation
of Liancourt arose from her love for him : he could not
prevent the celebration of her marriage, but he desired
Monsieur de Liancourt to repair immediately to the
army. The disappointed husband was obliged to obey
this order, and the king took Gabrielle with him to the
siege of Saint Quentin. This siege lasted some time,
and Gabrielle had no female society while there but her
sister, Madame de Villars, her cousin. Mademoiselle de
la Bourdoisiere, and her aunt, the Marchioness de Sour-
dis, who accompanied her for the purpose of giving her
intriguing and ambitious counsel for the elevation of her
relatives ; she did not waste her advice, for Saint Quen-

QUEEN MARGAEET DE VALOIS. 39

tin -was taken in 1591, and the Marquis de Souvdis was
appointed governor.

Gabrielle is not altogether free from reproach in regard
to her conduct with her former lover, the duke of Belle-
garde, if the circumstances of the adventure which has
been produced by Beaumarchais, in one of the most
clever and satirical pieces which the French stage affords,
are correct.

Mademoiselle d'Estrdes was very extravagant, and her
access to the king's coffers gave her ample opportunity
for satisfying her caprices. At the ceremony of the
baptism of one of her sons in 1594, she appeared in a
dress which was loaded with precious stones, and carried
in her hand a pocket handkerchief which cost nineteen
hundred crowns.

Gabrielle has been accused of having poisoned d'Alli-
bour, the king's doctor, but the statement is without
foundation.

If Mademoiselle d'Estr^es' taste and age differed from
Henry's, and she did not really love him, she nevertheless
triumphed in the glory of that hero, and was proud of
her children, the royal offspring of so great a king. She
constantly persuaded him to renounce Calvinism for the
interests of his crown, and assisted in 1593 at the cere-
mony of his abjuration, which took place at Saint Denis.

Henry, who considered no sacrifice too great for this

40 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

idolized favourite, wished that all persons should do ho-
mage to her ; and, had not Margaret de Valois so obsti-
nately resisted the divorce, he would have completed
Gabriellc's glory by placing the double diadem of France
and Navarre upon her brow.

In 1594 she gave birth to Caesar duke of Vcndome,
at the chateau de Coucy, in Picardy ; in 1595 the king
created her marchioness de Monceaux ; and afterwards
declared his son Ceesar legitimate by the following pro-
clamation : —

" Henri, par le grace de Dieu, Roi de France et do
Navarre, &c.

" Puisque Dieu n'a pas encore permis que nous en
ayons (lignde) en legitime mariage, pour etre la reine,
notre Spouse, depuis dix ans sdpar^e de nous, nous avons
voulu, en attendant qu'il nous veuille donner des enfans
qui puissent legitimement succ^der a cette couronne,
rechercher d'en avoir d'aillcurs en quelque lieu digne et

honorable Pour cette occasion, ayant reconnu les

grandes graces et perfection, tant de I'esprit que du corps,
qui se trouvent en la personne de notre tres-chere et
bien-aimee la dame Gabrielle d'Estrees, nous I'avons de-
puis quelques annees recherchee a cet effct comme le
sujet que nous avons jugd et connu le plus digne de notre
amitie.

" Et s'etant, la dite dame, apres nos longues pour-

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 41

suites, et ce que nous j avons apport^ d'autorite, con-
descendue a nous ob(iir et complaire, et ayant plu a Dieu
nous donner puis nagueres en elle un fils, qui a jusqu'a

present port^ le nom de C^sar avouons, disons, et

ddclarons, par ces prdsentes, sign^es de notre main, le
dit C^sar notre fils naturel, et ici lui legitime et legiti-

mons. Donne a Paris, au mois de Janvier, I'an de

grace quinze cent quatre-vingt-quinze, et de notre
regne le sixieme. — Henri."

In order to set aside all obstacles which might impede
her elevation to the throne. Mademoiselle d'Estr^es con-
trived to set her marriage with Monsieur de Liancourt
annulled through the favour she obtained from the pope
for using her influence towards Henry's conversion.

She assumed all the pomp of a queen, took her place
beside the king in the council-chamber, and advised
with him respecting the affairs of state. She shared the
glory of his triumphs and his victories, was admitted
into all the most brilliant solemnities, of which she was
the ornament, and accompanied him to the assembly of
the state at Rouen in 1596.

Henry was always delighted to avow his affection and
confidence in her. " Je I'appelle aupres do moi comme
une personne confidente, pour lui pouvoir communiquer
mes secrets, et sur iceux rcccvoir une familiere et douce
consolation."
4*

42 ^ QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

As ^Margaret's refusal to consent to the divorce was
the only ])arrier between Gabrielle and the throne, she
looked f'oi-wiird with certainty to overcoming that diffi-
culty, and politically endeavoured to appear worthy
of the expected honour, by gaining the esteem of the
people.

The choice of a superintendent of finances, which was
a question requiring most important consideration, and
one which greatly influenced the destinies of France, was
disputed at Monceaux, and the decision was referred to
Mademoiselle d'Estrees, who merits the acknowledgment
of her country, in having chosen the exemplary Sully,
who was well known to be indifferent to the fair sex, and
very severe in his notions respecting the king's favour-
ites : his asperity in regard to Gabrielle and her extrava-
gances was most particular.

Henry spent all his leisure time with the royal favour-
ite, who resided in the hotel de Schomberg, in the rue
Saint lienor^, on the spot where the Oratory now
stands : it was there, nine months after his triumphal
entry into Paris, on arriving in haste to see Gabrielle
after the campaign of Picardy, that in stooping to receive
a petition offered him, he was stabbed by Jean Chatel ;
fortunately, however, his wound was slight. It was at
her chateau of Monceaux that he accepted the forced
submission of the most powerful and seditious of his ene-

QUEEN MARGAKET DE YALOIS. 43

mies, the duke of Mayenne ; and at that residence also,
in a serious attack of indisposition, he received such
assiduous care and attention from Gabriellc, that he still
persisted in his resolution of marrying her.

She daily obtained more influence over the monarch,
and as her power increased she could less endure the
thoughts of a rival : her cousin Mademoiselle de Ilaran-
court gave her some umbrage, and she dismissed her
from the court, as also Mademoiselle de Senantes, of
•whom she was jealous ; she also formed an aversion for
Sully, because he objected to the king's union with her.

Henry IV., as was usual with him, opened his heart
to Sully on that subject, but with a hesitation which
marked the combat between love and reason ; knowing,
probably, that his devoted friend and servant would dis-
approve of his design. He commenced by detailing the
qualities he required in a wife, and demanded so many
merits, that the minister declared he thought it impossible
to find such perfection in woman.

"And what will you say," said the king, "if I were
to name one?"

"I should say," replied the confidant, "that your
majesty must have been on very intimate terras with her,
to be certain that you have not overrated her numerous
good qualities "

"As you will," said the king; "but if you cannot

44 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

recommend me a wife, I will name the one I allude
to."

"Name her, then, sire," replied Sully, "for I cannot
myself guess."

"Oh! you cunning rogue," replied Henry archly;
"you could very well name her of whom I am thinking,
if you chose it ! for you have often avowed that all those
good qualities are centered in my mistress : not," added
he, " that I mean to say that I intend to marry her, but
only to know what you would say, if, in failure of find-
ing another, I should one day take such a thing into my
head."

" I should say, sire," answered the minister, very
gravely, " that your majesty, not being acquainted with
a more suitable woman than the marchioness de Mon-
ceaux, by whom to secure children to the state, and from
the fear of depriving your kingdom of so desirable a
benefit, would forget the important considerations due to
your royal person and dignity."

Sully then adduced other reasons to persuade him to
alter his design, the principal of which was, that he
would be embarrassed in regard to his children born
before his marriage with Gabrielle and his divorce from
Margaret. " Of course," continued the minister, "the
younger children would be heirs to the throne, to the
detriment of the elder ; and from that will spring cruel
wars between the brothers : wots which will perhaps

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 45

plunge the state into a worse condition than that from
which you have preserved it." This conversation made
some impression on the mind of Henry, but he did not,
however, forego his project.

The birth of her third chikl, Alexander, caused a
quarrel between Henry and Gabrielle, whom the king
had created duchess of Beaufort. The duchess, always
flattering herself with the hope of becoming queen, con-
sidered that her children's succession to the throne was
certain, and surrounded them with such attendants and
pomp as belong to royalty only, as if to accustom the
nation to look upon them as their future masters. In
consequence of these pretensions, she determined on bap-
tizing her son with the magnificence usual to the royal
children, and not only gave orders for a most extrava-
gant outlay, but added to the young prince's name in
the register the qualification of a son of France ; and
Alexander was presented at the baptismal font by Ma-
dame Catherine, the king's sister, and the count de
Soissons.

Sully, whose duty it was to regulate the expenses of
this ceremony, was indignant at the prodigality of Ga-
brielle, and refused to pay the accounts, which were
considered debts of state, until the child's title as prince
royal was efi'aced from the register, at which the favour-
ite was so incensed that she resolved on disgracing the

46 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

minister for ever. She made bitter complaints to tlie
king, who, to endeavour to reconcile them, conducted
Sully to the duchess's apartments, having previously re-
quested her to receive him kindly. The enraged Ga-
brielle "would not listen to reason, but loaded the super-
intendent with invectives in the presence of the king.
Henry for the first time reproached her, when she threw
herself on a couch, and said plainly, that she would
starve herself to death, since she had experienced the
shame of seeing the king take the part of his valet in
opposition to her.

" A valet ! Ah ! by my faith, Madame, that is too
much," cried Henry, whose anger was vividly aroused;
"that is too much, and I see plainly that you wish me
to dismiss a minister who is invaluable to me ; but I
swear to you that I will do no such thing ; and more,
I declare that if I am reduced to the necessity of losing
either, I prefer one servant such as he is, to ten mis-
tresses like you." At the same moment the king turned
to leave the room, but Gabrielle, who saw that she had
greatly offended him, threw herself at his feet, and
Henry, at the entreaty of Sully, became reconciled to
her.

The king was enjoying the sweets of repose with
Gabrielle, when he received news of the unfortunate
surprise of Amiens by the Spaniards, and he immedi-

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 47

ately left Paris for that town, accompanied by the
duchess of Beaufort, who was present at the ensuing
siege. The grand master of artillery, Epinay de Saint
Luc, having been killed on the field of battle, Gabrielle
immediately demanded the vacant post for her father;
but Henry did not like the Marquis d'Estrees, and
alleged that officer's advanced age as the cause of his
refusal. Gabrielle burst into tears, and voAved thence-
forward to devote her life to the cloister : and Henry at
once gave the marquis the appointment.

The army requii'ing all the attention of its commander,
the monarch, at the request of his officers, sent Gabrielle
to Paris, and brilliant success soon followed this generous
resolution, for the treaty of Vervins, in 1599, sealed a
glorious peace for France.

The duke of Mercoeur, one of Henry IV. 's most powerful
enemies, had not yet declared his submission, which he
wished to negotiate through the duchess of Beaufort,
oifering her as recompense the hand of his only daughter,
the richest heiress in France, for her son Cossar, duke
of Vendome. This negotiation succeeded, and the cere-
mony of the betrothing of the young prince and Made-
moiselle de Mercoeur, both of whom were very young,
was performed by the Cardinal Tayeuse.

Margaret de Valois, either from motives of jealousy
or disappointment, still refused to consent to the

48 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

divorce. Although that queen's conduct could leave her
no pretensions to the heart of her husband, she never-
theless hated his favourite, and, without remembering
the recriminations "\\'hich her licentious behaviour autho
rized against herself, never spoke of Gabrielle without
adding to her name those withering epithets which are
invariably bestowed upon vice, in however elevated a
situation it may be found.

Nevertheless Henry, vexed at the delay which attended
the rupture of his marriage at the court of Rome,
menaced the sovereign pontiff Clement VIII. to make
him commence a process against the queen for adultery.
The proofs were not wanting, and all persons knew that
the result of it would be the elevation of the duchess
of Beaufort to the throne.

The pope, however, constantly found pretexts for re-
tarding it, and the king's ambassadors. Siller and Ossat,
who were partisans of Gabrielle, at length declared to
the pontiff, that if he was not more zealous in acceding
to the king's wishes, that he would act without his con-
currence. Clement accordingly ordered fasts and pray-
ers, and one day, after a profound meditation, exclaimed,
" Dieu y a pourvu." The divorce was therefore expe-
dited : but Gabrielle was never destined for the throne.

The duchess of Beaufort's death is accompanied with
circumstances which render it very singular. At first

QUEEN 1\IAEGARET DE VALOIS. 49

she had presentiments and interior warnings, the cause
of which no person could penetrate, and which have
never heen explained. These sinister presages, which
obscured her days and troubled her repose at night, were
doubtless caused by the predictions of the divinators and
astrologers who frequented the court, and were enter-
tained by all queens and princesses at that period. She
lost her cheerfulness, her imagination became afflicted,
she had frightful dreams, and, on awaking, her woman
Avould often find her bathed in tears.

The king being at Fontainebleau, religious scruples
required Gabrielle to leave him, in order to spend the
Easter at Paris. As she was pregnant with her fourth
child, Henry thought that she would perform the journey
with less risk by water, and conducted her to Melun,
where she embarked. On a hundred previous occasions
she had left the monarch for longer periods and greater
distances without experiencing the agitation that tor-
mented her at that time ; but then, sad and melanchol}'-,
she embraced him with affection, and repeated her adieux
with tearful eyes ; she earnestly recommended her chil-
dren to his crre, conjuring him to protect them, and,
once more throwing herself into his arms, bade him a
mournful farewell. It was their last parting.

She arrived at Paris on the eve of Good Friday, in
1590, and disembarked at the Arsenal, at Zamet's Hotel,

VOL. II. — 5

50 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS.

whicli was her usual residence when she made a short
visit to the capitah Zamet provided a brilliant repast
for the duchess, in which were all her favourite dishes.
La Varenne, who was an intimate friend of the king,
and Avho accompanied the duchess, wrote to Sullj that
she had dined with appetite ; " Qu'on la traita des
viandes les plus friandes et les plus delicates que son hote
savait etre le plus selon son gout ; ce que, vous re-
marquerez selon votre prudence, dit la Varenne, car la
mienne n'est pas assez excellento pour pr^sumer des
choses dont il ne m'est pas apparu :" which remark gives
rise to suspicions, though ambiguously oflfered, that
Gabrielle did not come by her end fairly.

After rising from the table, she expressed her wish to
leave that house, and went, accompanied by La Varenne,
Mademoiselle Guise, and others, to attend evening ser-
vice at the Petit-Saint-Antoine. Before quitting the
church she felt unwell, and, supported by Mademoiselle
Guise, requested to be conducted to her aunt, Madame
de Sourdis, at the cloister of Saint-Germain'l'Auxerrois,
declaring that she would not return to Zamet's. On
arriving at her aunt's she fell into horrible convulsions,
and several times attempted to write to the king, but the
agony she felt caused the pen to fall from her fingers.
At length she gave birth to a still-born child, and expired
twenty-four hours after in dreadful torture ; the contrac-

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 51

tion of her features, from pain, disfigured her so com-
pletely, that her countenance could not be recognised.

On receiving the news of her illness, the king mounted
his horse and set off at great speed towards Paris, but
Marshal d'Ornario and others, who met him on the road,
informed him of Gabrielle's frightful end, and entreated
him to return to Fontainebleau. The king's grief
amounted to despair; he assumed deep mourning, and
directed the court to do the same ; but though as a lover
he bewailed her loss, as monarch he forgot her ; the wise
remonstrances of his friends consoled him, and in less
than a month he was beyond their consolations, for he
loved after his fashion. Mademoiselle d'Entraigues.

The parliament sent a deputation oflfering the king
their condolences on the event of the duchess of Beau-
fort's death, and royal honours were bestowed on her
remains. She had four children : Cccsar, duke of Ven-
dome ; Alexander, grand prior of France ; the duchess
d'Elbeuf, and a fourth who was still-born. In the year
1820 a statue was erected in the department of Aisne
to the memory of this celebrated favourite.

While Gabrielle was reigning over the court and the
heart of Henry IV., Margaret de Valois was daily de-
vising the most agreeable methods of lightening her cap-
tivity. Nevertheless the chateau de Usson was the
theatre of vexation as well as pleasure, for on several

,52 QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOTS.

occasions lier little garrison, which was but indifferently
supplied with means, became a prey to discontent. In
this critical situation, Margaret developed the energy of
her character, and showed herself capable of better things
than her conduct usually gave her credit for. In 1590,
to quiet the most mutinous, she sold her plate, diamonds,
and other valuables to supply their wants, and in the
midst of the struggle against reverses and misfortunes,
and the voluntary eA'ile in which she consumed the last
of her best days, Margaret had not even the consolation
of thinking that the merit of her privations and sacri-
fices could efface the memory of the motive which called
for them.

At length, Henry IV. having entered Paris as con-
queror in 1594, IMargaret became queen of France, but
the shame which her conduct had brought upon her
prevented her wearing the double diadem of France and
Navarre. Henry declared he would never restore her
to liberty till she would consent to renounce her title to
the supreme rank ; and Margaret, who hated the favour-
ite, preferred her dull life at the chateau d'Usson to the
elevation of her rival, and, notwithstanding the most
urgent solicitations, persisted in her refusal.

After the melancholy end of Gabrielle d'Estr^es, being
tired of her captivity, she sent the king her consent to
the rupture of their marriage ; and Clement YIII. having

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 53

permitted the divorce, because she was in the third de-
gree rehited to him, and also because their marriage had
been forced bj Charles IX., the separation Tvas pro-
nounced by the cardinal de Tayeuse, the archbishop of
Aries, and the bishop of Modena, in the name of the
sovereign pontiff, in 1599, one year before Mary de Me-
dicis left Florence to share the throne of France with
Henry the Great.

Margaret's consent to the divorce did not immediately
procure her liberty, and it was not until she had partici-
pated in the discovery of the count of Auvergne's con-
spiracy that she was permitted to visit Paris, when, glad
to leave Usson at any price, she addressed a letter to
the king, containing expressions of the most servile flat-
tery, which were quite inexcusable ; and, after a capti-
vity of twenty years, appeared at the court of France
in 1605, to render homage and assist at the entertain-
ments of the new queen, where, insensible to all affronts,
she thought of nothing but pleasure.

After having lived for some time at the chateau of
Madrid, in the Bois de Boulogne, she removed to the
hotel de Sens, near the church of St. Paul, in Paris ;
not that the king refused this royal daughter of France
an asylum in his palace, but Margaret preferred to livo
apart from her family, in the midst of the isolated gar-
dens of the hotel de Sens, where she could more freely
5*

54 QUEEN :\IARGARET DE VALOIS.

indulge in her profligcate intrigues. This degraded queen
did not long remain in that residence, having been
obliged to quit it on account of the death of one of her
lovers named Datte, who was shot there in her presence ;
and this event, with the circumstances attached to it,
rendered the hotel so odious to her that she would no
longer remain in it. She accordingly removed to the
faubourg Saint Germain in 1608, and purchased an
hotel situated in the Pr^-aux-Clercs, where she laid out
large gardens on the banks of the river, and founded
the convent of the Petits-Augustins ; an establishment
as frivolous as her own character. One of the clauses
in the arrangement of this monastery was, that the in-
mates should possess fine voices, and sing hymns to the
modern airs Avhich she herself selected ; and she passed
a great portion of her time in her bed, surrounded by
the children of the choir, whom she instructed in this
species of sacred harmonj^

The greatest luxury and opulence reigned in this hotel.
Henry IV. permitted her to retain the title of queen,
but Margaret was quite unworthy of that honour. Her
court was composed of cavaliers, poets, and musicians ;
she received the learned at her table, cultivated litera-
ture with success, bestowed large alms on numerous poor
persons, and ruined her creditors, who suffered for her
prodigality. At the age of fifty-five she danced so well,

QUEEN MARGARET DE VALOIS. 55

that, according to Saint Foix, Don John of Austria,
governor of the Low Countries, went to Paris for the
purpose of seeing the first dancer in Europe exhibit at
a ball. Thus, Avreathing garlands of roses with her
silver hairs, Margaret passed her nights in festivity, and
her days in eternizing the memories of her numerous
lovers in poems and memoirs. An historian informs us
that this queen " portait un grand vertugadiu qui avait
des pochettes tout autour, en chacune desquelles elle
mettait une boite oil etait le coeur d'un de ses favoris
trepass^s."

In the year 1610, when celebrating the day of her
birth by an elegant entertainment, Margaret received
intelligence of the assassination of Henry IV. : the
news did not much affect her, but her insensibility at
the king's death was not to be compared to that of her
successor, the reigning queen, Mary de Medicis.

Towards the end of her life Margaret's faculties were
much impaired ; she became hypochondriacal, and sub-
ject to convulsions of terror, caused by the recollection
of the many tragical situations in which she had been
placed : perhaps also her dissolute life, and the near
prospect of the future to which she was hastening, created
feelings of alarm and remorse.

She died at the hotel of the faubourg Saint-Germain,
in 1615, at tlie age of sixty-three : her body was placed

56 QUEEN AND REGENT

in the churcli of the Augustins, which she had founded,
and was afterwards interred in the vault of the Valois
at the cathedral of Saint Denis.

QUEEN AND REGENT MARY DE MEDfCIS.

When Henry IV. had resolved on re-marrying, seve-
ral princesses were proposed for him : amongst others,
the infanta of Spain, daughter of Philip II. ; Margaret
of Lorraine, princess of Conti ; and Henry's cousin, the
princess of Rohan : but his marriage was not negotiated
with either.

Shortly after the death of Gabrielle d'Estrdes, the
king attached himself to Mademoiselle d'Entraigues, who,
ambitious and artful, conceived the project of a marriage
with him, which, but for the excellent advice of his min-
ister Sully, would doubtless have taken place. Knowing
his predominant weakness, and unwilling to lose the pre-
cious moments which the chance of winning the heart of
the king offered her. Mademoiselle d'Entraigues went
with her father and mother to Fontainebleau shortly
after the death of the duchess of Beaufort. This lady
was the daughter of Marie Touchet and Francis de Bal-
zac, lord of Entraigues, and, though much less beautiful
than Gabrielle, had studied from her childhoood the art

MARY DE MEDICIS. 57

of pleasing, and possessed an air of coquetry "n^hich gave
a charm to her smallest attractions ; she was intellectual
and spirited, but satirical, violent, and jealous ; her
mother, notwithstanding her affectation of virtue, se-
conded her ambitious views and favoured her intrigue.
She attracted the monarch to Malesherbes, her place of
residence, where Henrietta d'Entraigues employed all her
arts of dissimulation. The king's visits were at first
encouraged, and when she believed herself sure of con-
quest, under the pretext of her objection to mortify and
incense a rigid parent, she rendered their interviews more
diflScult, so that the monarch, as on a former occasion,
had recourse to clandestine and dangerous visits in dis-
guise. She then left Malesherbes for the chateau de
Marcoussis, where Henry followed her ; and she at length
had the audacity to require, as the price of her virtue,
the sum of one hundred thousand crowns, and a promise
of marriage, if in the course of the year she gave birth
to a son, which demand the king had the weakness to
agree to, and sign.

Henry, as usual, consulted his sincere friend Sully on
the occasion, and" the minister requested time to reflect
upon an affair of so much consequence. " Speak freely,"
said the king ; " I wish it ; I command it."

"You wish me to speak, Sire," replied Sully, "but

58 QUEEN AND REGENT

will you promise me not to be displeased at what I may
say or do ?"

" Yes, yes ; I do," said Henry ; upon which Sully,
taking the document of promise in his hand, tore it in
two pieces, and added, " This is my advice. Sire, since
you desire to know it."

" Are you mad ?" exclaimed the monarch.

" Possibly, Sire," said Sully, " and I wish to God that
I were the only madman in France." The minister then
retired, and, wishing to give his master a lesson in eco-
nomy, brought in to the king's cabinet the sum of five
hundred thousand francs, which he spread before his eyes,
when Henry could not help avowing that he had paid
dearly for his mistress's favours. Sully, who was really
interested in the honour of his master and the welfare
of the kingdom, then represented to him the danger of
such an engagement ; and Henry, who listened like a
man that was conscious of his error, made no reply:
after some moments of thought, as if drawn by some
invincible power, he retired to his inner cabinet, wrote
out another promise of marriage, and then went to hunt
in the direction of Malesherbes, where those pleasures
awaited him which afterwards cost him many corroding
cares.

If the weakness of the unfortunate monarch cannot be
excused, the noble and persevering confidence which he

iMARY DE MEDICIS. 59

preserved for his upright and virtuous minister deserves
at least admiration. Sully thought he would have been
disgraced after this conversation, because the king did
not look at or speak to him on leaving his cabinet ; but
it was conscious shame on the part of the monarch, as
he avowed himself afterwards, on giving him the appoint-
ment of grand master of artillery.

Henry IV. was not without remorse and scruple for
his faults. "I daily pray to God," said he to his histo-
rian Mathieu, "to grant me a victory over my passions,
and, above all, over sensuality." If that petition had
been granted him, or rather, if Henry had followed his
prayers by striving against his besetting sins, he would
have prevented the numerous troubles which were caused
him by Henrietta d'Entraigues and her family.

This woman was his very scourge. By turns capri-
cious or caressing, flattering or disdainful, criminal or
repentant, but never faithful, she appeared to hold the
monarch's heart in her hand, to swell it with disappoint-
ment, to inflame it with hatred", or to distract it with the
frenzy of the most violent love. Instead of enjoying
with her, as with Gabrielle, the pleasures of mutual con-
fidence, Henry found her always opposed to him in sen-
timents, desires, and interests, so that he was obliged to
be as much on his guard with her as with an enemy. She
never considered herself sufficiently remunerated, having

GO QUEEN AND REGENT

demanded the abbey of Chelles, after having been created
marchioness do Verneuil and received the domain of that
name.

Fearing the king's inconstancy, she was desirous of
accompanying him in his expedition to Piedmont in 1600,
but Henry commanded her to remain at Lyon, where, to
console her disappointment, he shortly after sent her the
colours taken from the duke of Savoy. This royal gal-
lantry flattered the pride of the marchioness, who believed
herself still nearer the throne than the duchess of Beau-
fort had been. But she deceived herself; for Sully had
already terminated the negotiations for Henry IV. 's
marriage with Mary de Medicis.

When the marchioness de Verneuil was informed of
the conclusion of this engagement, she gave loose to the
most violent invectives of anger, which caused the birth
of a still-born son. During her indisposition the king
paid her most assiduous attentions, and when her health
was quite re-established, she called upon him to marry
her, according to his engagement. Fortunately the in-
terest of the state was dearer to Henry than the mar-
chioness, for he married Mary de Medicis in 1600.

This princess was the daughter of Francis II., grand-
duke of Tuscany, and of Jane of Austria ; she was
twenty-six years of age when Henry sent his ambassa-
dors, Sillery and Ossat, to Florence to ask her hand in

MARY DE MEDICIS. 61

marriage. Mary's figure was tall, and her countenance
handsome ; she had a kind and generous heart, and an
intellectual and penetrating mind ; but these advantages
were impaired by an inordinate share of vanity and an
excessive degree of obstinacy.

By the marriage contract the grand-duke Francis II.
gave his daughter for her dower six hundred thousand
crowns, and a quantity of superb diamonds and precious
stones, as also all the debts which Henry IV. owed him.
After the signature of this document the grand-duke
paid the usual honour to Mary as queen of France, and
gave magnificent entertainments at the court of Tuscany
to celebrate this glorious event.

The war which still existed between France and Savoy
prevented the princess's immediate departure, during
which delay she diligently studied the French language.

At length the duke of Bellegarde, grand ecuycr of
France, accompanied by forty noblemen, arrived at Flo-
rence, where they were received by the grand-duke him-
self and his court. The ceremony of espousing by proxy
was performed in the cathedral by the pope's legate,
cardinal Aldobrandini, after which Mary embarked at
Leghorn in a superb galley, escorted by a flotilla of
seventeen vessels, and sailed for Marseilles, accompanied
by her aunt, Elizabeth de Medicis, grand-duchess of Flo-
rence, her sister the duchess of Mantua, and Virginia

VOL. II. — 6

62 QUEEN AND REGENT

des Ursins. The vessel in which she performed the
voyage was fitted with the greatest richness and prodi-
gality, decorated with superb tapestry of satin and gold
embroidery, ornamented within and without with jewels
and pearls, and the escutcheon of the house of Medicis
was traced in diamonds. Violent and contrary winds
rendered the voyage perilous, but Mary displayed no
alarm, and appeared worthy of the hero she had the
honour of being allied to. The constable de Montmo-
renci, the chancellor Bellievre, the cardinals de Tayeuse,
de Gondi, de Givry, and de Sourdis, as well as the dukes
of Ventadour, Nemours, and Guise, went to receive the
queen at Marseilles ; and amongst the ladies were the
princess of Conti and Madame de Guercheville. The
papal town of Avignon welcomed Mary de Medicis with
the greatest magnificence, and three beautiful young
girls, representing the Graces, offered her the keys of
the town. She next proceeded to Lyon, where her royal
husband was to meet her, and where she remained eight
days, he being detained at the besieging of the fortress
of Sainte Catherine.

Notwithstanding the fatigues he had undergone,
Henry, on his arrival, before changing his dress, re-
paired to the apartment of the queen ; on his entrance
she knelt to him, and the king with his natural affability
raised and embraced her ; the same day the marriage

MARY DE MEDICIS. 63

ceremony was performed in the cathedral of Lyon by
the cardinal Aldobrandini. Three months after, the
queen made her solemn entry into Paris amidst the joy-
ful acclamations of the people.

Henry IV., who was an object of veneration to all
Europe, and who had restored peace to France, could
not find it in the bosom of his family. His numerous
infidelities and the queen's jealous and haughty temper
were the principal causes of his domestic dissensions.
Although Mary professed attachment for her husband,
she often forgot that he was king in the violent expres-
sions of anger which her jealousy gave rise to. But
Henry, who had never been jealous of Margaret de Va-
lois, was still less so of Mary de Medicis, who, according
to the count de Caylus, notwithstanding her apparent
stateliness, was attached to Richelieu, bishop of Lu^on,
whom she promoted to the first ecclesiastical dignities ;
as also to Concini, whom she married to her favourite,
Leonora Galigai.

Shortly after his marriage, the king, to appease the
marchioness de Verneuil, left the queen, and went to
her chateau ; and Mary, deeply sensible of the affront,
vainly demanded the dismissal of the favourite, who
employed the arts of her charms and malice in opposi-
tion to the discontent and cold beauty of the queen.

According to the etiquette of the court, the mar-

64 QUEEN AND REGENT

cliioness de Verneuil was presented to the queen by the
duchess of Nemours; but although Mary received her
graciously, she insisted on having Leonora Galiga'i as
her dame d'atour, in opposition to "the wishes of the
king ; nevertheless Henrietta did not oppose it, as she
also received apartments in the Louvre.

This reciprocity of services could not, however, form
a durable alliance between such incompatible elements.
Although Henry did justice to the beauty of his queen,
he preferred the society of the marchioness, whose
court at the Louvre rivalled that of Mary de Me-
dicis, who on her part could not endure to be offended
in so public a manner. Leonora endeavoured to calm
her mistress, and reconcile all parties, but the queen and
the marchioness gave birth to sons within a few days of
each other, which caused fresh resentment on one side,
and new raillery on the other. The dauphin, afterwards
Louis XIIL, was born first, in 1601 ; and twenty days
after, the marchioness gave birth to Gaston Henry de
Bourbon, duke of Verneuil.

Fifty-eight years had elapsed since the birth of a dau-
phin had occurred in France, the last having been Francis
IL, and this circumstance gave great joy to Henry; but
his happiness did not prevent him from yielding to the
caprices of love.

The queen incessantly complained of the insolence of

MARY DE MEDICIS. 65

tlie marchioness, and sometimes suffered her humour to
lead her so far as to threaten the lives of her rivals, and
above all Henrietta, whom she hated, and who in her
turn revenged herself by petty insults, imitating Mary
de Medicis' tone, gestures, and Italian accent : the king
laughed at these absurdities, but the queen was furious,
and demanded vengeance. Henry endeavoured to elude
it, not wishing follies which were committed to amuse
him to be treated seriously ; but Mary insisted, and,
seeing that the king could not hear of parting with
Henrietta, believed that he preferred her, and gave vent
in public to reproaches, and scenes of ill humour and
vexation, that sensibly affected the monarch. Henrietta
did everything to multiply those scenes, hoping that the
queen's violence would annoy the king so much as to in-
duce him to send her back to Florence, and flattering
herself that there would then be no impediment between
herself and the throne, or to her son's being acknow-
ledged as dauphin.

Upon one occasion she declared in the queen's pre-
sence that she only became a mother under a promise
of marriage, and Mary, in a fit of passion at her auda-
cious remark, raised her hand and would have struck
the king, if Sully, who was witness to the quarrel, had
not restrained her arm, for which the queen accused the
loyal servant of having insulted her. These interior
6*

66 QUEEN AND REGENT

discords were so frequently repeated, that Henry seve-
ral times threatened to send the queen, and her favourite
Concini and his wife, Leonora Galigai, to Florence.

But the arrogance of the marchioness de Verneuil
gained her numerous enemies, amongst others Gabrielle's
sister-in-law, Julia d'Estrdes, wife of George Brancas
Villars, who projected her fall ; and the queen, whose
proud heart was wounded, encouraged all complaints
against her. Madame Villars, who succeeded in obtain-
ing the correspondence of the marchioness and the duke
de Joinville, demanded a private interview with the king,
in which she communicated to him the circumstances of
their connexion, and laid the correspondence before him.
The irritated king sent it to the marchioness by the count
de Lude, accompanied by the most bitter reproaches :
but Henrietta was not disconcerted, although her decep-
tion and infidelity were so apparent ; she contrived to
justify herself in the eyes of her lover ; Madame Villars
was exiled, and to console the marchioness de Verneuil,
Henry presented her with six thousand livres.

At length the queen proved so clearly the infidelity
of the marchioness, that Henry, thinking himself not less
free, formed other attachments, amongst which were
Mademoiselle de Sourdis and the countesses de Moret and
de Limoux. He also offered his homage to Mademoiselle
de Guise, and duchesses de Montpensier and Nevers, but

MARY DE MEDICIS. 67

the prudent and virtuous refusal of those ladies induced
the king to return to the profligate Henrietta d'Entrai-
gues.

Henry having been indisposed for some time, this crafty
and ambitious woman expressed to him her fears that, in
case of his death, herself and children would fall into
the power of the queen, and obtained his permission to
retire to Cambria, which was then in the power of the
Spaniards. There she could more conveniently conspire
with the enemies of France ; and Balthazar de Zuniga,
the Spanish ambassador, was her partner in the plot to
revive the promise which had been extorted from Henry
to annul the marriage of the queen, and place herself ou
the throne.

During her absence, Henry found consolation in the
society of her sister Mariette d'Entraigues, who was
much more amiable than herself. He corresponded with
her, made her magnificent presents, and invited her to
court, but her father refused to suffer her to go. Whether
it was that Henry found a charm in her conversation, or
that he drew from her the plots of her family is uncer-
tain ; but he never missed an occasion of visiting her,
and frequently crossed the wood at night, unaccompanied,
for that purpose, which temerity seconded the projects
of the count d'Entraigues, who thought the only chance
of his grandson's accession to the throne of France would

68 QUEEN AND REGENT

be through the death of Henry IV., which he contem-
plated effecting. This man lay in ambush Avith a party
of assassins, for the purpose of murdering him, but
Henry's intrepidity and vigour triumphed over these dan-
gers. He would, however, have perished, but for Mari-
ette, whose father obliged her to demand an interview,
and indicate an isolated spot for the rendezvous. She
accordingly appointed the meeting, but sent to warn the
king of the danger, and by that means saved his life and
rendered an eminent service to her country.

In the mean time, the marchioness de Verneuil con-
cocted her schemes, seconded by the king of Spain's
agent, and supported in Rome by her confessor, the
capuchin Archange Chonvallon, the duke of Savoy, and
the king of Spain, as well as her brother the count
d'Auvergne, and Marshal Bouillon. The apparent motive
of this conspiracy was the re-establishment of the Catho-
lic religion, which had been much weakened by the Pro-
testants in France. Her conscientious scruples induced
her to ask the king's permission to seek an asylum in
England with her relation the duke of Lennox, to which
request Henry willingly acceded ; when the marchioness,
irritated at having so easily obtained her request, which
she hoped would have been refused or reluctantly granted,
imperiously claimed the fulfilment of his promise of mar-
riage. Henry, who esteemed her less than formerly,

MARY DE MEDICIS. G9

assumed his sovereign authority, and desired her to resign
the document, offering her as an indemnity the baton of
marshal of France for her father, and twenty thousand
crowns for herself. Henrietta and her parents protested
that it was not in their possession, and declared at one
time that it had been sent to Spain, and at another to
England ; this important paper was, however, found in
an iron box buried at the foot of a tree in the park at
Marcoussis. Her resignation of this document, which
was given to the king in the presence of the duke of
Montpensier, the count of Soissons, the president Tean-
nin, and the chancellor de Sillery, who drew up the act,
the marchioness declared to be not binding, as she said
it was drawn from her by constraint : she therefore con-
sidered her son's right none the less imprescriptible.

If Henry thought that the ambitious projects of the
family d'Entraigues were thrown aside by the recovery
of this little document, he deceived himself, for their
disappointment urged them to violence, and the count
d'Entraigues determined to carry things to extremities.
Supported by Philip III., king of Spain, the count
d'Auvergne, the duke of Tremouille, the prince of Condd,
and the duke of Bouillon, who reproached the king with
having seduced her under false promises, they conceived
the audacious project of having the dauphin's illegitimacy
proclaimed.

70 QUEEN AND REGENT

This conspiracy was discovered; and if it caused
Henry IV. uneasiness, what must have been the terrors
of Mary de Medicis ! — A queen, and mother, who found
herself menaced with dethronement, and had the pros-
.pect of beholding the sceptre wrested from the hands
of her son.

The king at first expressed himself determined to act
with the greatest severity towards the conspirators. The
count d'Entraigues maintained that he had only sought
the honour of his daughter, and the count d'Auvergne
endeavoured to throw all the blame on his sister, who
on her part recriminated him.

The ungrateful Henrietta was allowed her own hotel
of Saint Paul for her prison, and her father and brother
were confined in the Conciergerie. Closely guarded by
a chevalier du guet, and deprived of the society of her
children, the marchioness, far from exhibiting any alarm,
unceasingly repeated, " If the king takes my life, the
world will accuse him of murdering his wife ; I was
queen before the Italian .... I claim three things
from him ; pardon for my father, a rope for my brother,
and justice for myself."

The queen demanded prompt justice, and the king,
wishing to conciliate the dignity of the crown, with his
natural magnanimity required the marchioness's submis-
sion, to enable him to pardon her ; but, full of pride.

MARY DE MEDICIS. 71

and bent on insulting the queen, she refused to humble
herself or acknowledofe her fault. During the course
of the proceedings Henry often expressed his impatience
at her not having made any efforts to appease him, or
sent any message of submission.

"Do you think," he said to Sully, "that she ^^vill
humble herself, and ask pardon?"

"Yes," answered the minister, "if she believes that
you have no longer any affection for her ; but if she
perceives that you love her still, and that you have made
all this commotion solely for the purpose of bringing
her to your will, her haughtiness is sufficient to prevent
her from ever bending."

The parliament condemned d'Entraigues and d'Au-
vergne to be beheaded, and the marchioness to have her
head shaved and be confined in the convent de Beaumont-
les-Tours for life ; it was not until she heard the con-
demnation, that she made use of those efforts which she
knew were all-powerful over the heart of the monarch ;
and the woman who two days before sent word to her
sovereign that she would never be reproached " d'avoir
bais^ la main qui I'enchainait," at length threw hez'sclf
at his feet, and induced him by her tears and protesta-
tions not only to suspend the executions, but even to
change the disposition of the judgment. Entraigues was
exiled at Malesherbes, and the count d'Auvergne con-

72 QUEEN AND REGENT

demned to remain in the Bastille, " pour mater son in-
domptable malice contre sa soeur ;" as for the marchi-
oness, she was restored to the king's favour.

This triumph rendered her still more arrogant and
proud, from the influence she possessed, and she forgot
the public respect she o-^A-ed the queen. During a journey
to Saint Germain, the carriage in -which the king and
queen were seated was overturned into the Seine : Henry
IV., with his usual agility, contrived to save himself, but
the queen would have been drowned if Monsieur de la
Chataigneraie had not plunged into the river, and dragged
her from the water. The Marchioness de Verneuil, on
being informed of the event, exclaimed that, as the king
was saved, had she been there, she would have said with
all her heart " J>a Heine boit.'"

It might at least have been expected that Henry
would have resented this insolence, since Mary's first
words, on recovering her respiration, were to make in-
qiriries respecting his safety ; but he took no notice of
the remark, which was reported to the queen, and ex-
cited her just resentment against the king, for continuing
to notice a woman who so often insulted her. A sepa-
ration between the king and queen was the result, but
after some little time a reconciliation was effected by the
efforts of Sully and Yilleroi.

At length, wearied with her capricious conduct, Henry

MARY DE MEDICIS. 73

ceased to consider the unworthy marchioness de Ver-
neuil as his mistress, but, notwithstanding her crimes,
she still aimed at being elevated to the rank of a princess.
She first listened to the proposals of the prince de Join-
ville, "who proved inconstant to her before the conclusion
of the engagement, and she afterwards had the banns
of her marriage with the duke de Guise published.
Nevertheless the king continued to see her occasionally ;
and even on the day of his death, walked with her in
the garden of the Tuileries, conversed about her child-
ren, and promised her the release of her brother, who
was still confined in the Bastille.

After Henry's murder, in 1610, which some historians
assert that she was privy to, the marchioness had the
mortification and disappointment of losing the husband
that she flattered her ambition by the promise of a
union with. The duke of Guise alleged that the preli-
minary contract was false, and, supported by Mary de
Medicis, who was pleased to have an opportunity of re-
taliating upon her insolent rival, married the dowager
•countess de Montpensier. Henrietta d'Entraigues gt
length found herself obliged to retire to her chateau de
Verneuil, where, after having obtained promises of mar-
riage from three illustrious persons, she died obscurely
in 1633, unmarried, at the age of fifty-four. She had
two children by Henry IV., Henry de Bourbon, duke

VOL. II. — 7

74 QUEEN AND REGENT

de Verneuil, bisliop of Metz ; and Gabrielle Angelk{ue,
marchioness de la Valette, duchess d'Epernon. The
last years of Henrietta d'Entraigues' life were devoted
to religious exercises ; she founded a convent of Annon-
ciades.

Henry next attached himself to a young orphan
named Jacqueline de Beuil, daughter of one of the most
devoted servants of the crown, who had been carefully
educated under the superintendence of Charlotte de Tre-
mouille. princess of Conde. Henry created her count-
ess of Moret in 1606, and legitimized her son Antoine
de Bourbon, count of Moret, to whom he gave a wealthy
estate. This young scion of the valiant Henry per-
ished gloriously at the battle of Castelnaudari in 1632.

The countess offended the king by suffering some fami-
liarities from the prince de Joinville ; he even ordered
the prince to leave the kingdom in consequence, to which
he never returned until after Henry's death, and the
monarch discontinued his liaison with the countess de
Moret, who in 1617 married R^nd du Bee, Marquis de
Vardes, by whom she had two sons, one of whom is cele-
brated in the annals of the court of Louis XIV. Talle-
mant des R^aux asserts that Jacqueline died from poison
administered to her by accident.

After Henry's rupture with the countess de Moret, he
determined to forecro all future attachments. " You

MARY DE MEDICIS. 75

know," said he in conversing with his friend Sully, "that
in regard to mj mistresses, which all the world knows to
be my most predominant passion, I have checked them
on some occasions, and greatly preferred your advice
before theirs. And I will always do so," he continued
with enthusiasm ; " I will quit mistresses, love, the chase,
buildings, and pleasure of every description, rather than
lose the smallest opportunity of acquiring honour and
glory, the principal of which, after my duty towards God,
my wife and children, my faithful servants, and my peo-
ple, whom I love as my own offspring, is, to preserve
myself as a loyal prince of good faith and word, and in
my last days perform actions which will crown them with
honour and glory."

Henry spoke his wishes when he promised absolute
empire over his passions for the future ; but he was des-
tined to give to the world one more spectacle of weakness,
the result of which might have been more serious than
any of the former, had not his death occurred before his
projects were carried into effect.

At the age of fifteen, Charlotte Henrietta do Mont-
morenci, daughter of Henry I., duke of Montmorenci,
constable of France, was presented at court by her aunt
Diana d' Angouleme. A more accomplished or beautiful
woman had not appeared there within the memory of the
oldest courtiers. To her personal attractions she added

76 QUEEN AND REGENT

the charm of simplicity, being free from all artifice ; all
the young noblemen aspired to her hand, -which was
accorded to the celebrated Bassompierre, and a short
time previous to the celebration of their marriage the
queen gave a ball, in which Mademoiselle de Montmo-
renci danced in the attire of the goddess of the chase.

Her fairy form could not escape the curious eye of
Henry IV., upon whose heart she made a deep impression,
the more lamentable because the object of his regard
was but fifteen years of age, whereas he was fifty-eight.
He soon perceived that Bassompierre, who was handsome,
young, and clever, was much attached to his young
fiancee, and in his anxiety suffered the secret of his pas-
sion to escape him, and entreated Bassompierre to resign
her hand. In Bassompierre's memoirs it is said that the
king one day drew him aside, and said, "Bassompierre,
je te veux parler en ami; je suisdevenue nonseulement,
amoureux, mais fou et outr^ de Mademoiselle de Mont-
morenci. Si tu I'^pouses, et qu'elle t'aime, jete ha'irai ;
si elle m'aimait, tu me hairais : il vaut mieux que cela
ne soit point bause de notre m^sintelligence." Bassom-
pierre, to whom this marriage was very advantageous,
was with much difficulty persuaded to make this cruel
sacrifice, upon which Henry embraced him afiectionately
and shed tears of satisfaction ; so insignificant and weak
do the passions sometimes render the greatest of men !

MARY DE MEDICIS. 77

Henry was desirous of forming a union for Mademoi-
selle de ]\Iontmorenci "with his nephew Henry de Bour-
bon, prince of Conde, who was first prince of the blood,
and in consequence heir presumptive to the throne in
case of the death of the two young princes. He was
exceedingly accomplished and clever, and much more
devoted to study and the chase than to the society of
women. The king's attentions to Charlotte were so
remarkable that the prince hesitated to enter into an
engagement with her, and requested his guardian DeThou
to inform him that he objected to the marriage ; the king,
divining his motive, sent for him and said, in presence of
the duke de Bouillon, "Vous pouvez I'epouser, sans
aucon soupgon sur mon compte," and on that declaration
the marriage was concluded.

The fetes on the occasion were most brilliant, and the
king presented the bride with jewels to the amount of
ten thousand crowns. After their union magnificent
presents to the princess and the house of Cond^
abounded, so that the king's generosity became a subject
of suspicion for the husband.

Henry's love received no return from the princess,
whose vanity was nevertheless flattered at having to
number the king amongst her other brilliant conquests.
In one of her letters she expresses her regret that the
Cardinal Bentivoglio was not elected to the pontifical

78 QUEEN AND REGENT

throne, for in that case she would have counted amongst
her lovers a pope, a king, cardinals, princes, and mar-
shals, besides numerous noblemen.

The prince of Condd at first withdrew his wife from
court by degrees, and Henry, noticing his precaution,
tried to gain his confidence by new honours and gifts.
The prince's confidants poisoned these gifts by persuading
him that the king's liberality arose from a design to
seduce his young wife ; and Henry himself gave rise to
suspicions by his imprudence. Not satisfied with express-
ing his discontent of Cond(^'s absence from court, he
several times disguised himself and -paid nocturnal visits
to the princess, for the pleasure of only enjoying a few
moments' conversation with her.

These indiscretions confirmed the prince m his reso-
lution of withdrawing his wife from those places which
the king frequented. He conducted her first to Saint
Vallery, then to Fontainebleau ; and at length, finding
that he unceasingly found his way to the princess's domi-
cile, no longer hesitated between dishonour and flight,
and formed the determination of leaving France without
his uncle's permission. He had taken the precaution
of retiring to his chateau of Vertcuil, on the borders
of Picardy, which he left before daylight ; the princess
rode on a pillion behind him, and was escorted by two
of her women and two gentlemen, who proceeded in the

MARY DE MEDICIS. 79

same manner until they arrived at the Low Countries,
which were then governed by the Arch-duke Albert, who
had married his cousin the Infanta Isabella. These two,
who were united by the bonds of love and virtue as well
as of marriage, retained the gravity of the ancient
manners in their court. Their frequent balls and assem-
blies, instead of being accompanied with tumult, were
conducted with that order and propriety which proclaimed
the character of the host and hostess ; gallantry was
found there, but without irregularity or indecorum ;
gaycty and cheerfulness reigned without constraint, be-
cause nothing was to be feared from calumny or malicious
interpretations. All things were executed with order,
and the women, following the example of the arch-duch-
ess, employed their mornings in needle-work and domestic
concerns.

Sully recounts the manner in which the news of Conde's
flight was received at the court of France. Henry, who
was playing a game at cards Avith Bassompierre, on being
informed of it exclaimed, " Je suis perdu, mon ami ....

cet homme cnleve sa fe"mme je iie sais si c'est

pour la tuer ou pour la conduirc hors de France." He
then hastily quitted the table and paced the room, some-
times stamping his foot violently and suffering exclama-
tions of vexation and disappointment to escape him,
while the courtiers, affecting sympathy and grief, turned

80 QUEEN AND REGENT

their heads aside to smile ; in the queen's apartment loud
acclamations of joy were expressed at the event, but
the most curious scene took place in the council, -which
Henry in his weakness and despair assembled, though
it was past midnight.

Villeroi, the first speaker, was of opinion, that some
sensible person should be sent to the prince of Cond^
to point out to him the impropriety of his proceedings,
and to engage him to return to France with his wife.
This advice required too much time, and the result of it
was uncertain; it was therefore not adopted. " Yours?"
said Henry, turning towards Sully.

"This affiiir," replied the minister, "is too important
to decide on immediately ; I have just been called from
my bed when in the middle of my first sleep, and my
conceptions are not yet awakened."

" No matter — say what you think it is best to do,"
answered the king hastily.

"Nothing."

"How! nothing?"

" Nothing, sire ; and when the Spaniards find that
you neither trouble yourself about the prince of Condd
nor his wife, they will abandon them themselves."
Henry turned pensively towards Jeannin, who had suffi-
cient time to reflect upon what counsel would best please
the king, and accordingly advised that the fugitives

MARY DE MEDICIS. 81

should be brought back by force; that the archduke
should be required to give them up, and if he refused,
to declare war against him. This advice prevailed, and
Praslin, captain of the guards, -^vas immediately de-
spatched with the message to the Low Countries, in
1610.

Albert's reply was noble and hospitable : he refused
to favour the intrigue. He, however, entreated Cond^
to seek an asylum elsewhere, wishing to maintain a good
understanding with Henry TV., and the prince was
obliged to pass all along the frontiers of France to reach
Germany. Praslin is suspected of not having used all
the power offered him, from a compunction to act in so
odious an affair.

The prince of Oond^, not wishing to expose his host
to any inconvenience on his account, would have taken
his wife with him, but the archduchess would not suffer
her to run the risks which such a journey would expose
her to, and promised the husband to take care of her and
conduct her to Brussels.

Henry, having failed in his first attempt, resolved to
employ both force and stratagem to bring the princess
back to France, and found but too many base and servile
adulators to serve his views and encourage his hopes.
The princess at first cared far less for the king than for
the costly presents he made her, the fetes of which she

82 QUEEN AND REGENT

■was the heroine, the distinguished preference, the praises,
and the homage, amounting to adoration, which he paid
her. But when the suspicions of her hushand caused
him to withdraw her from court and deprive her of all
these pleasures, and when, moreover, she was wearied
with the grave monotony of the court in the Low Coun-
tries, and felt herself under the severe guardianship of
the Infanta Isabella, whose devout occupations and ideas
caused her to exercise a rigorous watch over her actions,
she began to regret her departure from France, and to
feel indifferent towards her husband. The archduchess
in speaking of the princess of Cond^, said, " C'est un
caractere angdlique, dans lequel il n'y a a reprendre que
sa passion pour le roi, qui est un sortilege."

But there was nothing supernatural in this sorcery ;
the magic of it consisted in the counsels she received
from the women who surrounded her in Brussels, and
who were all gained over by the emissaries from France.
They placed the king's letters in her hands, dictated her
replies, inflamed her imagination, and easily persuaded
a girl of sixteen, who was accustomed to a style of
romance, to employ terms of tenderness and illusory
expressions of love, which she considered nothing more
than '-'■jeux d' esprit" and amusement, but which redoubled
the king's passion, because he imagined that they sprung
from a heart which was entirely devoted to him. The

MARY DE MEDICIS. 83

most artful of these women was the countess de Berny,
wife of the French ambassador ; and the king sent Gabri-
elle's brother, Annibal d'Estrdes, marquis de Coeuvres,
to second her, with directions to risk everything to induce
the princess to return.

At this time the prince of Condd returned to Brussels,
and the king's agent, d'Estrdes, recommended him to
proceed to France with his wife, to which he promised
to accede, provided he could live apart from the court
and be assured of a place of security. The negotiators
replied that it would be a precaution which was dis-
honourable to the king, and that if he preferred he could
procure a divorce, in which case Henry would assist him.
Condd did not refuse, but maintained that in the mean
time his wife should remain with him.

D'Estrdes at length resolved to settle the difficulty by
carrying her off. He sent spies to watch them, and dis-
covered the prince's place of resort and the princess's
moments of leisure : certain of success, and aided by the
Avomen who surrounded her, he formed his plan of enter-
prise and sent it to the king, who counted the moments
which should bring her back to Paris ; and when he judged
that all obstacles were surmounted, and the execution
of his project was infallible, said to the queen, " On
such a day and at such an hour you will see the princess
of Condd here."

84 QUEEN AND REGENT

Mary de Medicis immediately sent a courier to inform
the Spanish ambassador, the Mai-quis Spinola, and her
messenger went with such speed that he M'as at Brussels
before the hour fixed for the abduction. Conde asked
the protection of guards, which the archduke granted,
and the prince hastened Avith them to the palace d' Orange,
Avhere he and his wife resided.

The rumor of the intrigue spread throughout the
town, and d'Estrees, finding that his plot was discovered,
determined to give the affair the most plausible appear-
ance ; he therefore repaired to the archduke, and, though
the hour was late, demanded an audience. He com-
plained bitterly of the injurious reports which had been
circulated respecting his sovereign, and requested that
Condi's guard should be dismissed. Albert calmly replied
that he was well aware an enterprise had been formed to
carry off the princess of Condd, though he did not sup-
pose the king had taken any part in it, but that in all
probability it arose from the wish of some of his majesty's
zealous subjects to oblige him ; but that to obviate any
inconvenience of the kind he should receive the princess
into his own palace, where she would be under the care
of himself and his duchess.

This was a blow to d'Estrees' hopes ; he, however, did
everything to cause a delay, and by his advice the princess
feigned indisposition : at the same time she requested

MARY DE MEDICIS. 85

the Mar(]^uis Spinola to give a ball, -yvhicli with a smile
he excused himself from doing under the circumstances.
This man had always carefully watched over the princess
in accordance with his orders, and paid her great atten-
tion, so that he was suspected of being influenced by a
more tender feeling towards her than the interest of
the case required. She perceived it herself, and on one
occasion, when recounting the adventure, gayly re-
marked, " 3Ion etoile me destinait a etre aimee par des
vieux."

At length d'Estrees, finding that he could do nothing
more, informed Cond^ that the king expected he would
immediately return to France, or he would be declared
criminal of high treason ; but the prince was not dis-
mayed— he respectfully replied to the royal summons,
but severely reproached d'Estrees for the part he had
performed in the affair ; however, to avoid being arrested,
he returned to Milan, leaving the princess a second time
under the care of the duchess.

All negotiations having ceased, Henry united with the
duke of Savoy and the Venetians, put his troops in mo-
tion, and displayed to the astonished Spaniards the
most formidable army that had ever menaced their power.
To prevent this war Philip proposed a marriage between
his daughter the infanta and the dauphin, both of whom
were of the same age ; but the king refused any nego-

VOL. II. — 8

86 QUEEN AND REGENT

tiation, and his refusal strengthened the opinion that it
was neither for the interest of his allies nor for that of
his kingdom that he was about to break the peace, but
on account of his passion for the princess of Cond^,
who, like another Helen, would have seen Europe in
arms on her account if the assassinating hand of Ravail-
lac had not shortened the days of this great warrior and
good king, but weak man ; who at the very moment he
received his death-blow was on his way to the hotel
Zamet to visit a young Languedocian named Paulet, who
was the daughter of his secretary, and the most beauti-
ful singer at court, but of a very indifferent reputation.

After the death of Henry IV* the prince de Cond^
returned to Paris, and his sister the princess of Orange
conducted his wife there, where she was re-united to her
husband, for whom she had always entertained the
greatest respect.

The Cardinal Bentivoglio, who took a lively interest
in Charlotte, counselled the young couple to lay claim
to the throne of France ; but the prince indignantly
rejected his perfidious insinuations, fearing that if he
aimed at attaining the crown he would not only be ex-
posing himself to great risks, but also placing his wife,
to whom the cardinal was attached, in the same danger-
ous position as before. They were therefore content to
remain in the rank they already possessed, with the en-
joyment of mutual affection.

MARY DE MEDICIS. 87

From that time the princess strictly performed the
most important duties of a wife, for when Conde was
arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille in 1616 by Mary
de Medicis, finding that she could not procure his liberty,
she requested as a favour to be allowed to share his dis-
grace, and for the space of two years resided with him
in the prison, where she affectionately devoted herself
to him, and was the consoling angel of his captivity.
Not less attached to her own family, she used every
effort with Louis XIII. in favour of her brother the
heroic and virtuous Marshal de Montmorenci, who was
condemned to be beheaded : as she could obtain no grace
from the king, she fell on her knees before Richelieu, in
the hope of obtaining his pardon, but that cruel and
heartless minister was content with raising her, and in
his turn throwing himself at her feet ; the despot was,
however, deaf to her prayers, and Montmorenci was de-
capitated at Toulouse.

The brilliant spring-time of the princess of Condd's
life was exchanged for an obscure autumn. She lost her
husband in 1646, and languished in a decline for four
years after, when she followed him to the tomb at Cha-
tillon-sur-Loing, at the age of fifty-six, leaving a daugh-
ter, Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, who was married to
Henry d' Orleans, duke de Longueville ; and two sons,
one of whom was Armand de Bourbon, prince de Conti,

88 QUEEN AND REGENT

and the other Louis II. de Bourbon, who was known to
posterity as the great Cond^.

The daj previous to the king's assassination was the
one fixed for the queen's coronation. Mary had been
for some time very desirous of receiving the royal unc-
tion at Saint Denis, but Henry, who was unwilling that
the nation should be put to expenses for luxuries, at first
refused to give his consent to this ceremony ; but, na-
turally kind-hearted, and perhaps also desirous of making
her some amends for his infidelity, he at length yielded
to her wishes. Mary appeared at this solemnity blazing
with jewels, and Henry, who was gratified to behold her
in these rich ornaments, heightened her glory and vanity
by declaring in his enthusiasm that he had never seen
so handsome a woman as his queen. The ceremony was
performed at Saint Denis by the Cardinal Joyeuse in
1610, and magnificent entertainments were prepared to
celebrate the occasion ; but some sinister predictions
had awakened the solicitude of the queen, which was but
too well founded, for the general joy was turned into
universal mourning, and the voice of all France ex-
claimed, ^^ JVous avons perdu notre pere."

This great modern hero was not lamented under the
palace roof of his Avife as he was bewailed beneath the
thatch of the cottage, for Mary de Medicis was ignorant
of the extent of her loss. Two hours after the king was

MARY DE MEDICIS. 89

murdered slie liad taken every precautionary measure
necessary for assuring herself of the regency.

The duke d'Epernon, colonel-general of the French
guards, who was not remarkable for his attachment
to Henry, and who, though seated in the carriage
beside the monarch at the time he received the
fatal blow, neither attempted to prevent nor arrest the
assassin, surrounded the house of parliament with
troops, and, after haranguing the members, prevailed
on them to declare Mary de Medicis regent of France ;
and from the moment she assumed the reins of govern-
ment, discord began to manifest itself. Henry's faithful
friend, the virtuous Sully, was dismissed from the coun-
cil, as well as Jeannin and Villeroi ; and this was the
first act of her unskilful government, notwithstanding
the late king, foreseeing the evil which would arise in
France when he no longer guided the state, gave the
queen that wise advice which should have been regarded
by her as permanent laM'S. He recommended her to
retain the services of those ministers he had placed in
the council, to suffer no foreigners to interfere in the
affairs of administration, and to prevent the increase of
the Jesuits in the kingdom.

The discarded ministers were replaced by Pere
Cotton, the pope's nuncio, and the ambassador of
Spain, all of whom were suspected as accomplices in the
8*

90 QUEEN AND REGENT

king's assassination, but who were nevertheless loaded
■vvith favours. The Jesuits, who triumphed in the
increase of their power, endeavoured to create new
wars on account of their religion ; and the state was
agitated by the discontented Huguenots, to whom jNIary
de Medicis was obliged to accord the treaty of Saint
Menehould, in 1614.

The queen's friend and confidant, Leonora Galigai,
and her husband, obtained entire influence over her, which
gave great offence to the nobles ; Concini, who had never
used a sword, was elevated to the rank of a marshal of
France, and his wife was appointed "dame d'atours,"
in the place of Madame de Richelieu, who had been
chosen by the late king.

Unfortunately this excess of favour was bestowed on
persons who abused it ; for instead of moderating the
extent of the queen's bounties, or sharing it with families
who were capable of protecting them in case of a reverse,
and thus avoiding the hatred and diminishing the envy
which preference always occasions, these children of
fortune, in aspiring to obtain too much, eventually ruined
themselves, and dragged their mistress into the same
abyss.

Leonora Galigai was one day asked how she had
acquired so much influence over the queen. " Have
you not employed philters, magic, and supernatural

MARY DE MEDICIS. 91

means?" said her in(|uirer. "None," replied Leonora,
" but that ascendancy ■\yliich strong minds possess over
the weak." Mary's natural obstinacy may have been
one cause for this attachment, as it was remarked that
any advice offered her on the subject only seemed to ren-
der her more determined.

" I well know," she one day remarked in public, "that
all the court are opposed to Concini ; but, having sup-
ported him in defiance of the king, my husband, I shall
certainly support him against others."

While the husband regulated the affairs of state, the
wife occupied herself with all concerns of a lucrative
nature : she sold favours and privileges ; she supported
and forwarded petitions, just or unjust, provided she was
remunerated, obtained large sums from the treasury,
and filled her house with riches.

In 1615 the parliament remonstrated on the augmen-
tation of pensions, and the immense expenses of the royal
household, but were not heeded. Henry IV. had left a
flourishing kingdom ; he had paid twenty-five millions
of debts, out of a revenue of thirty-five millions, and left
thirty millions the fruits of his economy, in the Bastille ;
and the queen, after having dissipated these treasures,
burdened the nation with taxes, placed France under the
yoke of Spain, and by her culpable conduct confirmed

92 QUEEN AND EEGENT

the general opinion that she was not a stranger to the
conspiracy connected with the king's death.

In 1615, Louis XIII,, who was then fifteen years of
age, proceeded to Bordeaux, to receive his young wife,
Anne of Austria, accompanied by his favourite com-
panion, Albert de Luynes, who was very intimate with
him, and made use of his intimacy to point out to the
king the errors of his mother's government, and the
odious power of Concini and his wife. Louis is said to
have replied to him, on one occasion, " Ce marechal sera
la ruine de mon royaume ; mais on ne peut pas dire cela
a ma mere, parcequ'elle se mettrait en colere."

In fact no person ever carried the spirit of vengeance
farther than Mary de Medicis. She could suffer neither
remonstrance nor obstacle ; anger rendered her capable
of any act of extravagance, and Avhen from interested
motives she was obliged to restrain herself, the violence
of her nature expressed itself in the alteration of her
countenance, and in her health. Gramond says, "Nihil
in foemina medicum : si amat, uritur ; odio implacabilis
est; contempta, amens fit." So it was with the queen;
her passions were carried to extremes ; friendship with
her was blind devotion, and hatred execration.

Louis XIII.'s majority had not yet arrived to deliver
him from the rule of his imperious guardian, and France
from its odious yoke ; but at length t]\e king, wearied

MARY DE MEDICIS. 93

"with such insupportable despotism and hoping to pacify
the nation, gave the fatal order for the fall of Concini,
in 1617. The marshal, having entered the Louvre to
proceed to council, was detained by Yitri, the captain
of the guards, who demanded his sword. Concini made
a movement either to surrender or defend himself, and
at the same moment received three pistol shots, from
which he instantly expired. The king appeared on the
balcony to authorize this action by his presence, and was
immediately surrounded and congratulated, as on the
occasion of a public rejoicing. During this species of
triumph, the queen's guards were disarmed, the doors of
her apartments which communicated with those of the
king were blocked up, and Leonora Galigai was arrested
in the presence of her mistress.

During the remainder of the day the courtiers employed
themselves in recounting the catalogue of vices and crimes
of those to whom the day before they had bent the knee,
and on the day following the populace exhibited a proof
of their ferocious and turbulent character. Concini's
body, which had been privately buried at Saint-Germain-
I'Auxerrois, was discovered, disinterred, and dragged
through the streets, hanged, and then dismembered, and
the authors of the catastrophre encouraged the blind
rage of the mob, because their excesses proved to the

94 QUEEN AND REGENT

king tliat he had done right in sacrificing a man who
"was so much detested.

Nothing could exceed the astonishment and grief of
Mary de Medicis on hearing the extent of her misfortune.
She was mortified to think that she had been so easily
deceived and overcome by the young king, and his
equally inexperienced companion. She however still
hoped to regain her ascendancy over her son, if she could
only converse with him, and earnestly solicited that
favour ; but she was refused, and informed that she
could not recover his good opinion until she had with-
drawn herself for a certain period from the court. At
this news, Mary, who saw the entire overthrow of her
power, shed those bitter tears at the loss of her autho-
rity, which were much more due to the memory of her
husband. The command to leave Paris was softened by
her having had the choice of the place to which she
would retire, as well as of the persons who were to ac-
company her ; and she selected the chateau of Blois for
her residence.

All the ministers that Concini had appointed precipi-
tately retired, except Richelieu, bishop of Lugon, who
was the queen's chaplain, and who was determined to
remain by Mary de Medicis in her misfortune. He is,
however, suspected of having sought his own advantage
rather than that of the queen in this apparent mark of

MARY DE MEDICIS. 95

fidelity, having been a spy upon her actions, more than
a friend and counsellor.

At the moment of the queen's departure, Louis XIII.
■^ent to her apartment, but the interview was short.
After embracing liim, she begged mercy in favour of
Leonora Galigai, but Louis was embarrassed, and retired
without replying. Mary advanced to retain Luynes,
who was quitting the room with him, but the king called
to him to follow in an authoritative tone. The queen then
took leave of her daughter-in law, Anne of Austria, who
lamented her disgrace, although she had been the means
of creating dissensions between herself and her husband,
and afterwards proceeded to her carriage bathed in tears.
Louis XIII. watched her departure with that air of
entire satisfaction which a youth assumes when first
freed from scholastic discipline.

But that was not the last scene in the tragedy. Leo-
nora Galigai was also made an example, for suffering her-
self to be carried away by the torrent of fortune. She
and her husband had met with riches and grandeur in
their path, which had been opened to them by the friend-
ship of a powerful queen ; they had entered upon it with
intrepidity, walked on in confidence, and in the end en-
countered ignominy and death. Leonora Galiga'i's great
fault was her thirst for gold, and the crimes imputed to
her displayed more of the rancour of her enemies than

96 QUEEN AND REGENT

that she had done anything worthy of death. Finding
that they could bring no proofs of treason against her,
she was accused of sorcery, of having corresponded with
Jewish magicians and demons, of having I'efused to eat
pork, to have neglected attending mass on Saturdays,
and of having shut herself up in the church with Mi-
lanese and Florentines, for the purpose of practising vari-
ous superstitions. These imputations seemed so puerile
to Leonora, that when questioned respecting them she
could not forbear to smile ; but when she perceived that
the judges persisted in the accusation, she wept bitterly,
and said, that by such charges she knew they were deter-
mined to condemn her. She was spared nothing that
could add to her affliction, but was made to drink the cup
of sorrow to the dregs. Persons of all classes filled the
chapel at the time her sentence was read to her. On
entering, she exclaimed, " Oimd, que de monde !" and
endeavoured to envelop her head with her veil, but she
was obliged to remove it, and listen with her face un-
covered to her condemnation.

The law declared her culpable of treason, both human
and divine, and condemned her to be beheaded at the
Place de Greve, her head and body to be burned, and
her ashes to be thrown to the winds ; her house to
he razed to the ground, her lands confiscated, and her
son, a most amiable and intellectual youth, was pro-

MARY DE MEDICIS. 97

nounccd ignoble and incapable of holding any appoint-
ment in tlie kingdom. Five of the counsel refused to
agree to this iniquitous sentence, and it is said that Ser-
^dn, the advocate-general would not assent to it, but under
the promise of Louis XIII. 's pardon for the accused.

Leonora, disgraced in her honour, and that of licr
husband and son, for a moment gave "way to her grief.
At the worst, she expected but banishment, and was
overwhelmed with a torrent of grief at the future lot
Avhich she feared would be the portion of her friendless
son ; but after paying this tribute to nature, she dried
her tears, and armed herself with firmness. No more
murmurs or regrets escaped her, she resigned herself
with Christian fortitude to her unhappy fate, and listened
with devotion to the consolation which religion offered
her. She was dragged to execution through a crowd of
persons who looked on in silence, and whose hatred ap-
peared to have subsided into pity : entirely occupied with
her religious duties, she noticed neither the populace nor
the stake ; intrepid, but modest, she died without boast
and without fear.

The murder of Concini, the execution of his wife, and
the exile of the queen-mother, were followed by the dis-
grace of almost all of their partisans. Richelieu, who
had accompanied Mary to Blois, received an order to

VOL. II. — 9

98 QUEEN AND REGENT

quit her, and accordingly, retired to his bishopric of
Lu^on : he was afterwards exiled to Avignon.

Luynes and his associates took every precaution to
prevent any communication between the king and queen-
mother, who complained to all France of the severe
captivity in which she was retained, without having the
consolation of once seeing her son, to whom she declared
she had most important state secrets to communicate, and
which she would not commit to the keeping of his favour-
ite. The duke de Luynes endeavoured to conciliate her
with promises that the king, when released from the cares
of state business, would visit her, but the interview was
always delayed.

The honour of delivering the queen-mother from her
prison was reserved for one of her own countrymen,
named Ruccelai, and Mary's faithful friend, the duke
d'Epernon. The former followed the queen in her exile,
but returned to Paris under favour of the friendship of
Bassompierre, and the promise of holding no correspond-
ence with her. But Ruccelai had already determined on
undertaking the enterprise ; and, though a person of
most luxurious habits, possessed that constancy and in-
trepidity which braves all danger and fatigue. He com-
menced by leaving his abbey secretly, and going to the
neighbourhood of Blois, where he contrived to establish
a clandestine correspondence with the queen-mother, and

MARY DE MEDICIS. 99

as soon as he had made her acquainted with his pLms,
traversed the country in the midst of a severe December,
evaded-the spies who were scattered throughout his rout,
and sometimes on horseback, and at others on foot, arrived
at Sedan, where he proposed to the duke of Bouillon to
put himself at the head of the party formed for Mary
de Medicis. The duke expressed himself flattered at
the confidence reposed in him, but declared that he alone
was incapable of serving her, and indicated that the duke
of Epernon was the only man who could undertake the
charge.

Ruccelai and Epernon entertained great animosity for
each other; nevertheless the former determined to trust
to the generosity of the latter, who was not unworthy
of his confidence, and willingly joined in the confederacy
for the release of the queen-mother. Their plot narrowly
escaped discovery. Ruccelai having placed some letters
for the queen in the hands of a young man named de
Lorme, who, imagining that the packet contained im-
portant information, proceeded to Paris, instead of Blois,
and requested an audience Avith Luynes ; but as he w'as
supposed to be an impostor, who presented himself under
false pretences to obtain money, he was suffered to wait
in the duke's antechambers for three successive days. A
parliamentary counsellor, named Du Buisson, who Avas
much attached to the queen-mother, having been informed

100 QUEEN AND REGENT

by his valet that de Lorme was in Paris, and astonished
at not having seen him as usual, sent to seek for him,
when he found that he frequented Luynes hotel : sus-
pecting some treachery, he despatched a messenger, who
informed de Lorme that he was sent by Luynes to hear
what he had to communicate, and handing him five hun-
dred crowns, possessed himself of the despatches.

The queen-mother escaped in the night by descending
a ladder from her bed-room window ; she crossed the
gardens of the chateau on foot, accompanied by her
attendant Catherine, who conveyed her casket of jewels,
Bresuc, her equerry, and Du Plessis, Richelieu's brother.
A carriage awaited them at the end of the drawbridge,
and they proceeded to Mont Richard by the light of
torches. She was soon joined by the archbishop of Tou-
louse and Epernon, under whose escort she reached An-
gouleme.

"When the news of the queen's escape reached the
court, Luynes, who was obliged, in conformity with the
king's wish, to enter into a treaty with her, offered, as
the basis of his negotiation, that Mary de Medicis should
abandon the duke of Epernon, and that he should be
made an example of. But Mary replied that she would
never abandon a man who had risked all to restore her
to liberty, and that, rather than expose him to the resent-
ment of his enemies, she would take the whole evil upon

MARY DE MEDICIS. 101

herself. Lnjnes detormined to proceed to extremities
with the duke, and sent troops against him. Hostilities
commenced at the little town of Uzerche in Limousin,
which was pillaged, and a universal voice was raised
throughout France against this war, which was consi-
dered odious in its principles and dishonourable to the
king.

At this time Richelieu, who was languishing in exile
at Avignon, imagined that his services might not be re-
jected in the then embarrassed condition of affairs, and
sent his brother-in-law Rene de Yignerot to offer them
to the queen-mother, who accepted them, and requested
that he would proceed to Angouleme ; this circumstance
having been known to the king proves that Richelieu
entertained a secret intelligence with the court, of which
Mary de Medicis was ignorant. This man acted with
the greatest prudence ; he appeared to desire no per-
sonal advantage beyond the esteem of the queen-mother,
and affected the greatest attachment for Epernon ; by
which he gained the hearts of both.

It was at this period that Richelieu laid the first founda-
tion of his fortune by his efforts to conciliate the king
and the queen-mother, and an interview which took place
at the chateau de Courcieres, in Tours, was the result
of his endeavours.

On meeting, the mother and son manifested more sur-
9 *

102 QUEEN AND REGENT

prise than affection. "Monsieur mon Ills," said she,
" que vous nous etes fait grand dej^uis que je ne vous ai
vu !" " Je suis cru, Madame," replied the king, "pour
votre service." They passed three days together, but
Mary de Medicis enjoyed more of her daughter-in-law's
caresses than of her son's society, which she would have
preferred. " How," she one day asked the prince of
Piedmont, "can I obtain his good graces ?" He replied,
" Love what he loves ; and those few words contain the
law and the prophets." The advice was good, and Mary
owed all her unhappiness to the neglect of it.

After this short interview, the queen-mother left Tours
for Angers, hoping soon to be recalled to Paris. The
famous friar Joseph du Tremblay first appeared at this
time, and was the secret agent between Richelieu and
Luynes. The former, by his skilful management,
gained an entire ascendancy over Mary de Medicis,
around whom he encouraged all the discontented who
became formidable ; and the prince of Cond^, whom
Louis XIII. had liberated from the Bastille, attacked
the queen's troops at the Pont-de-Cd : the expedition
proved unfavourable for her ; and she was obliged to
enter into a treaty, which, among other articles, con-
tained the promise of a cardinal's hat for Richelieu.

The second interview between Mary de Medicis and
licr son, Avliich took place at the chateau de Brissac, was

MARY DE MEDICIS. 103

more cordial than the one at Tours. Louis XIII.
embraced her, and said, " Je vous tiens, et vous ne
m'echapperez plus." She replied, "Vous n'aurez pas
de peine a me retenir, parceque je suis persuadee que je
serai toujours traitee en mere, par un fils tel que vous."
They then agreed to proceed together to Poitou and
Guyenne, to pacify the rebellious and discontented ; after
which they returned to Paris, where Mary united her
court with that of Anne of Austria, and skilfully reco-
vered her influence over the king.

As long as Richelieu had been of service to her, Mary
de Medicis protected and assisted in aggrandizing him ;
but when she saw the power of this Colossus, she was
afraid of her work ; his influence excited her resentment,
which grew at length into hatred, and she determined on
his fall.

Her enmity broke out on his return from La Rochelle
in 1626, but Richelieu foresaw it, and Mary de Medicis
was the only victim on the '■^ journee des diqjes." Yield-
ing to her solicitations, Louis XIII. , on leaving Paris
for Versailles, promised his mother to dismiss the cardi-
nal, Avho followed the king to that place, and so artfully
insinuated himself into Louis's good graces, that he deter-
mined to retain him in his service ; and when IMary
arrived at Versailles, it was to be informed of her new
dissrace.

104 QUEEN AND KEGENT

Having refused all reconciliation "with the cardinal,
she was confined in the chateau de Compiegne, under
tlie guard of Marshal d'Estrees, 1631 ; and her friends,
her servants, and even her medical attendant, vrere im-
prisoned in the Bastille. She, however, eifected an
escape to the Low Countries, where she was kindly
received by the archduchess Isabella ; but in 1638 the
war between Spain and France prevented her remaining
there.

A wanderer, with indifferent resources, the widow of
Henry the Great next sought an asylum with her daugh-
ter Henrietta, wife of Charles I., king of England. The
king and queen of England welcomed her kindly, but
the troubles which agitated that country rendered it an
uncertain residence, and Charles endeavoured to recon-
cile her once more with her son. The cardinal minister
would not, however, suffer their reunion to take place,
and it was decided that she should be sent to Florence.

Mary de Medicis could not endure the thought of her
native land being witness to her reverses and disgrace,
and remained in England as long as she was permitted ;
but the parliament, with the redoubtable Cromwell at its
head, obliged the forlorn queen to leave that country.
She went next to Holland, where she hoped to remain,
but the fear of disobliging the cardinal rendered the
government deaf to her prayers, and she was robbed of

MARY DE MEDICIS. 103

that retreat. The unfortunate Mary, abandoned by her
children, rejected by her late husband's faithful allies,
and obstinately refusing to appear at Florence in the state
of humiliation to which she was then reduced, anxiously
sought a resting-place : in vain she addressed complaints
to the parliament of France ; they refused to listen to
her remonstrances, as she had once refused to heed theirs ;
and Mary was destined never more to see her son, or the
city which she had embellished with the fine arts. She
next chose the imperial town of Cologne for her place
of residence; it was free and neutral, and there she at
last found refuge.

The king, whose heart was naturally good, but weak,
would not have suffered his mother to remain in exile and
abandonment, but for the insinuations of the vindictive
and ambitious cardinal, who persuaded him that she
favoured and conspired with the enemies of France ; and
the indigence and misery in which Mary de Medicis died
leaves an ineffaceable stain upon the memory of Louis
XIII. and his crowned sisters, which no reasons, moral
or political can excuse.

Her goods were confiscated, her remittances stopped,
and she was obliged to dismiss all her faithful servants.
During the severe winter of 1642, which was the last of
her existence, she was not even provided with fuel, but
was reduced to the necessity of burning tables, boxes,
and choirs. The vexations and privations which resulted

106 QUEEN AND REGENT

from her poverty brought on a dropsical complaint in the
chest, as well as other diseases, and this complication
of evils terminated her deplorable career, at the age of
sixty-seven. She was attended in her last moments by
the elector of Cologne, and her body was transported to
Saint Denis, where it was interred by the side of Henry
IV.

The history of this unfortunate queen exposes many
faults and errors, but the injustice and desertion that
poisoned her latter days brings to memory her good
qualities and merits. Generous in her friendships, she
would have sacrificed her best interests for those whom
she honoured with her attachment ; but she rarely dis-
played any signs of tenderness for her son ; it is said
that during the four years of her regency she was never
once seen to caress him : nevertheless she solaced the
unfortunate, and was affable to her inferiors.

After her death her misfortunes excited pity, but none
could deny that her own imperious and obstinate charac-
ter had brought a great portion of her misery upon her.
The king bitterly reproached the cardinal for the priva-
tions his mother had endured, and Richelieu, whose
power was wavering at the period of her death, by way
of amends presented Louis XIII. with the Palais Cardi-
nal (now the Palais Royal), ordered a magnificent Requiem
to be performed in honour of her memory at Terascon as

MARY DE MEDICIS. 107

well as at Paris, and sjjoke of her as if he had shortly in-
tended to restore her to France and regain her good
graces. It is true that, when dying, she pardoned him ;
but the pope's nuncio, who exhorted her to do so, en-
deavoured also to persuade her to send him, as a sign of
reconciliation, a bracelet which she wore on her arm ;
but Mary, impatiently turning aside, exclaimed, " Non,
c'est trop." The cardinal would doubtless have been
much gratified with this mark of esteem, by which he
could have justified his conduct to the king.

In the protection which Mary de Medicis afforded to
literature and the fine arts, she proved herself a true
daughter of Medicis. Some proofs of her portrait, which
she engraved herself, and gave her painter, Philip de
Champagne, are still in preservation. She recompensed
Malherbe, encouraged the chevalier Marina, and built
the beautiful palace of Luxembourg, in which she resided
until her banishment. This residence, which was erected
after the plan of the palace of Pitti in Florence, recalled
to Mary the recollection of her own beautiful country;
she therefore took delight in embellishing it, and com-
missioned Rubens to execute the numerous allegorical
paintings which have so long decorated its galleries. She
built several works of public utility, such as the aqueduct
at Arcueil, and three hospitals ; she also founded the

108 QUEEN AND REGENT

convent of the Filles du Calvaire, and planted the pro-
menade known by the name of the Couj'S la Reine.

Mary de Medicis had three sons : the eldest was Louis
XIII. ; the second, Gaston duke of Orleans ; and another
who died }■ oung : and three daughters — one of whom
married Victor Amadde, and was sovereign duchess of
Savoy ; another was the wife of Philip IV. of Spain ;
and the third married the unfortunate Charles I. of
England.

QUEEN AND REGENT ANNE OF AUSTRIA.

(Reign of Louis XIII.)

Five years after the death of Henry IV., ^lary de
Medicis resolved upon an alliance with Spain by the
double marriage of the princess Elizabeth of France
with the prince royal of Spain, and the infanta Anne
with Louis XIII. Accordingly, in 1615 the duke of
Mayenne and the count of Puisieux were sent to Madrid
to demand her hand in the name of the king, and the
contract was concluded. Anne of Austria could not
conceal the joy she experienced at the prospect of her
marriage, and her youthful imagination created brilliant
illusions, which, however, were soon dissipated. The

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 10»

duke of Guise, at the head of a detachment, conducted
the princess Elizabeth, destined for Philip IV., to the
frontiers, and escorted the young queen of France to
Bordeaux, where the king met her, and they received
the nuptial benediction from the hands of the bishop of
Saintes. The entertainments on the occasion gave the
French and Spaniards an opportunity of displaying their
splendour, in which they endeavoured to outvie each other,
and the period of this double hymen was entitled V annee
des magnificences.

Anne of Austria was the daughter of Philip III. of
Spain and of Margaret of Austria, and was born at
Valladolid in 1601, five days before the husband for
whom she was destined, but for whom the result proved
that she was ill calculated. She had a majestic carriage,
a great quantity of light hair, which she powdered, blue
eyes, an aquiline nose, a small vermillion-coloured mouth,
fair complexion, and hands and arms that were cele-
brated for their beauty throughout all the courts of
Europe.

Louis XIII. found much to admire in his young wife,
but Anne entertained no affection for Louis : that prince,
naturally cold, soon became indifferent to her charms,
and Anne, though taught by Madame do Chevrcuse,
widow of the duke of Luynes, that a woman, though she
does not love herself, should always endeavour to be

VOL. II, — 10

110 QUEEN AND REGENT

beloved, employed but insuflScient means to win his re-
gard. Moreover, their union was interfered with by
persons who aspired to the exclusive confidence of the
king, as well as by the queen-mother, Mary de Medicis,
who inspired Louis with suspicions on account of her
attachment to her family, and insinuated to the queen
that her husband disliked her ; so that their whole life
was a continual divorce, which was occasionally inter-
rupted by some reunions, the result of circumstances
rather than affection.

From the commencement of her marriage Anne of
Austria experienced deep mortification from having been
obliged to dismiss all her Spanish attendants but one,
called Estefania, and replace them by French persons ;
some of them had attended her from childhood, and she
could not conceal her discontent at this imperious order.

Louis saw with anxiety her attachment to the house
of Austria, but would not have blamed her for corre-
sponding with her father and brother in Spain, if she had
not excited suspicion towards her communications by
concealing them, and also by addressing letters to known
enemies of France. This augmented the king's indiffer-
ence, and Anne of Austria enjoyed little happiness
during her married life. Some of her historians assert
that she gave Louis other causes for his neglect, both in
regard of her friendship for the duke of Montmorenci,

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. Ill

and for Gaston, duke of Orleans. She is also accused
of having favoured the advances of the duke of Bucking-
ham, -vvho was sent to Paris in 1625, bj Charles I. as
ambassador. This nobleman was gay and presumptuous ;
moreover, he possessed immense wealth and a magnifi-
cent establishment. The love he affected to feel for the
queen gave great umbrage to the cardinal, for Bucking-
ham publicly spoke of it, and accompanied his declara-
tions with most imprudent attentions, until the king
himself suspected his young Avife, and Richelieu aug-
mented his suspicions and increased his anxiety by per-
suading him that her intimacy with that nobleman would
be injurious to the French nation ; perhaps his motives
were just and national, but they brought upon him the
hatred of the queen.

The duke of Buckingham, when recalled to England,
instead of taking leave of the queen in the ordinary
form, went into her apartment, fell on his knees by her
bedside, and gave way to the most extravagant expres-
sions of grief, so that she was obliged to reprove him
and inform him that it was a great innovation on the
rules of etiquette to address the queen of France in
that style ; several cotemporary writers, however, assert
that she gave him a pair of diamond eaglets on that
occasion. The duke was sent to the succour of Rochelle,
which was occupied by the Protestants and attacked by

112 QUEEN AND REGENT

Richelieu, Avho entreated the queen to ■vrrite and request
that nobleman to delay the departure of the auxiliary
fleet for a few days ; Buckingham had the weakness to
consent to her request, and during the delay Richelieu
gained a victory, after a siege of twelve months.

It is said that the cardinal himself was in love with
Anne of Austria ; that it was jealousy which caused his
hatred of Buckingham, as well as his close surveillance
of her conduct ; and that he not only addressed letters
of tenderness to her, but also employed Madame Fargis
to assure her of his devotion. But the queen ridiculed
his passion. Her confidant, Madame de Chevreuse,
who had also refused to listen to the minister's profes-
sions, one day asked her mistress if she would like to
see the prelate dance a saraband in her apartment ; and
the imprudent queen, delighted at the prospect of the
comedy, determined to make a little fete on the occasion.
At the invitation of Madame de Chevreuse, the amorous
minister accepted this singular engagement, and appeared
in the queen's apartment dressed in green pantaloons with
small silver bells suspended from his knee-ribbons ;
Boccau, the celebrated violinist, was summoned, and
Cardinal Richelieu played the castagnettes and danced
a saraband to Boccau's music : several young courtiers
were concealed behind the draperies of the room, and

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 113

this burlesque scene excited the laughter of the ■whole
court.

The cardinal was vindictive. lie augmented the
differences between the royal pair, and accused the
queen and Madame de Chevreuse of having been acces-
sories in the conspiracy formed by Henry de Talleyrand,
prince of Chalais. This young man held the office of
master of the wardrobe, and Avas arrested by the minis-
ter on suspicion of having formed a plot to dethrone the
king and annul his marriage in oi'der to enable his
brother Gaston to marry the queen and ascend the
throne. Chailais was beheaded, and his accomplices
were exiled. Madame de Chevreuse was ordered to retire
to her estate of Dampierre, in Lorraine, and in this
comparatively slight punishment the cardinal certainly
displayed the indulgence of a lover, although she had
ridiculed his passion. The queen, whose participation
in this conspiracy is very doubtful, underwent a severe
mortification from being implicated in it, as Louis XIII.
obliged her to be present at the trial, and with a bitter
smile reproached her in open court for having desired an-
nother husband. " Je n'aurai pas assez gagni? au change,"
she disdainfully replied, but she wept bitterly, and
entertained a most violent hatred of Richelieu for having
brought that humiliation upon her.

Wearied with the society of her cold and indifferent
10*

114 QUEEN AND REGENT

husband, as also with the monotony of the court, and
desu-ing a residence of her own, away from the scrutinizing
eye of the cardinal, Anne founded the convent of Yal-
de- Grace, at Paris, in which she reserved apartments for
herself. She granted several privileges to that commu-
nity; amongst others, that of bearing the arms of France,
and of receiving the hearts of princes and princesses of
the blood royal. In the seclusion of this establishment
she passed her days with those inmates whose society she
preferred, and who joined with her in her prayers for an
heir to the throne.

This queen had been married twenty-two years before
she gave birth to the dauphin, Louis XIV., but some his-
torians assert that in 1629 she was delivered of a son,
who is supposed to have been the mysterious personage
known under the name of the Iron-mash^ and whom they
believe to be the son of the duke of Orleans, or Bucking-
liam, or Cardinal Mazarin.

Whether this conjecture with regard to the unfortunate
child is correct or otherwise, it is certain that there was
some powerful reason for the method in which he was
brought up, the precautions of which he was the object,
and the mystery in which the circumstances of his birth
are enveloped. It is, however, much more probable, as
well as more honourable to the queen's memory, to
believe that this person was the twin-brother of Louis

ANNE OP AUSTRIA. 115

XIV., in Avhich case political motives required all the
secrecy which was oLserved; wherca.s, had he been an
illegitimate son of Anne of Austria, it would have been
unnecessary.

He was first confided to the care of a nurse, who was
informed that he was the son of a nobleman of high rank,
and afterwards placed by cardinal Mazarin under the
charge of Monsieur de Saint-Mars, with whom he lived
until that gentleman's death. At the age of twenty this
young man eagerly entreated his guardian to give him
some information respecting his parentage, which Saint-
Mars invariably refused, and at length, by dint of un-
wearied perseverance, he discovered a casket in which
was some correspondence between Louis XIV. and car-
dinal Mazarin, which, with the portrait of the queen,
whom he strongly resembled, served to throw some light
on his origin. In consequence of this discovery, Louis
XIV. sent him to the islands of Saint Margaret, and
obliged him under pain of death always to wear a black
velvet mask, so as to conceal his features. This unfor-
tunate man spent all his life in captivity.

When Louis XIV. was established on the throne and
the absence of the mask from France was not necessary,
the king ordered Saint-Mars to transfer his prisoner to
the Bastille, where, confined in that fortress, this mys-
terious person was the object of particular care. He

116 QUEEN AND REGENT

was served on gold and silver plate, and regaled in
princely style; the governor and officers of the Bastille,
and even the haughty Louvais himself, always addressed
him standing and uncovered. At length, after a capti-
vity of nearly fifty years, he terminated his monotonous
career in the Bastille in 1703, and was buried in the
cemetery of Saint Paul, after his countenance had been
entirely disfigured by mutilation.

During the reigns of Louis XIV. and Louis XV. the
public was deceived by various false reports which were
spread abroad, asserting that the prisoner was the duke
of Monmouth, Fouquet, the superintendent of finances,
the duke of Beaufort, the count of Vermondois, and the
secretary of the duke of Mantua ; but they were so vari-
ous, that none were believed. Moreover, Louis XIV.
was not cruel, and unless it was under circumstances of
such serious consequence as the reputation of his mother,
or the stability of his royal power, it is very improbable
that he would have authorized this severe treatment of
an unofiFending person. After his death, the walls of his
prison were demolished and searched, his dresses and
linen burned, his plate melted, and numerous false re-
ports and pamphlets respecting him intentionally scat-
tered among the public.

All these precautions are sufficient indications to pos-
terity that it was his brother whom Louis XIV, thus

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 117

treated ; and some documents Avritten by Monsieur de
Saint-Mars, and recently discovered in the archives of
the minister of foreign affairs, powerfully support the
opinion. Perhaps that is one of the causes for the great
influence which Cardinal Mazarin possessed over the
queen, who doubtless confided to him her secret, if she
did not give him her heart.

After the humiliating reproaches which Anne of Aus-
tria received from Louis, on account of the conspiracy
of Chalais, and her withdrawal to Val-de-Grace, the
king's existence was not less dull than her own. Those
whom he honoured with his friendship were soon dis-
gusted, because they were obliged to pass their time in
puerile amusement, or to listen to his perpetual murmurs
against his minister. He was separated from his mother,
whom he retained in exile, prejudiced against his wife,
jealous of his brother, in continual distrust of the nobles
who surrounded him, and seeing only with the eyes of
Richelieu, whom he detested, but without whom he
thought himself incapable of reigning.

Thus friendless and unhappy, he acquii-ed a taste for
the society of some women who cannot be called mis-
tresses, for he loved them only for the pleasure of con-
fidence. His attachments to Mademoiselle Ilautefort
and Mademoiselle Lafayette were founded on sentiments
of friendship, and consisted in the pure enjoyment of

118 QUEEN AND REGENT

their conversation and society. The first friendship of
this kind that Louis formed was with Mary de Rohan,
wife of the duke de Luynes ; it, however, lasted but a
short time, and then changed into hatred, because he
discovered that she loved the duke de Chevreuse, whom
she married after de Luynes' death.

The king's next friendship was for Clara, daughter of
Marshal Hautefort, and of Ren^e de Bellay. She was
born at Poitiers, in 1616, at the period of her father's
death, and had hardly attained her fifteenth year when
she entered the service of Mary de Medicis, in the capa-
city of maid of honour, under the care of her grand-
mother, Madame Flotte, who was dame d'atours to Anne
of Austria. She was not particularly talented, but very
amiable, and so pious, that at coui't she was designated
Sainte Hautefort. Without being a decided beauty, her
appearance was extremely attractive ; she had large
brilliant blue eyes, a bright colour, light auburn hair,
and an elegant figure.

When Mary de Medicis was exiled at Moulins by the
all-powerful Cardinal Richelieu, in 1631, Clara de Haute-
fort accompanied her, but, the king having expressed
his disappointment at losing her society, the minister
sent for her, and appointed her dame d'atours to Anne
of Austria, in the place of Madame Flotte. The king
visited her daily, and, although his attentions consisted

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 119

only in conversing -with and consulting her, the queen
manifested some signs of jealousy, which threatened
Mademoiselle Ilautefort with her displeasure. She how-
ever avoided everything that could occasion Anne of
Austria any vexation, and paid her such unremitting
and skilful attentions, that she gained her confidence
and affection.

At that time Louis had acquired another favourite in
Mademoiselle Lafayette, whose influence over him was
too extensive to be gratifying to the cardinal minister,
and he encouraged Clara de Hautefort to inspire the
king with a dislike for her. That young lady was, how-
ever, an entire stranger to intrigue, and in consequence
she and her confidant Mademoiselle de Chemerault were
dismissed from the court by the prelate, and retired to
the convent of Maddelonnettes. The weak monarch
submitted to this affront in silence, and became much
more assiduous in his attentions to Mademoiselle Lafay-
ette. The minister, who was uneasy on account of this
attachment, recalled Mademoiselle de Ilautefort, for
whom he professed a passion, and even offered her the
title of duchess ; but his offers were rejected with dis-
dain, as she detested the minister.

Louis XIIL, fearing to displease the cardinal, paid
clandestine visits to Clara, who was still honoured with
the friendship and confidence of the queen, which was

120 QUEEN AND REGENT

a new cause of resentment to Richelieu, "who availed
himself of every oppoi'tunity to display his dislike for
her, and to endeavour to create the same feeling in the
heart of the monarch. She, however, retained his favour
for some time, in opposition to the minister, whose sup-
port she disdained. But Louis had a suspicious dispo-
sition : friendship with him was not always the result of
esteem. He loved without esteeming, and esteemed
without loving; and as esteem is imperious, it gave
Richelieu that ascendancy over his sovereign which he
unceasingly possessed, notwithstanding all the efforts of
those he loved. The monarch, therefore, on finding that
Clara was the friend of his wife, as well as of himself,
became jealous because he was not loved exclusively,
and, like all persons who are attacked with that malady,
imagined that he was despised and ridiculed by both
wife and favourite.

Several quarrels and reconciliations were the conse-
quence of Clara's affection for her royal mistress, and one
day, after some disagreement, Louis had the weakness
to threaten her with the resentment of the cardinal, and
accordingly addressed a letter to Richelieu, in which he
set forth all his complaints against his favourite. When
the letter was folded, he showed it to her, saying, " Voila
votre scene que je fais £i Monsieur le Cardinal." Clara
immediately sprang forward, seized the letter, and con-

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 121

cealed it in her bosom ; then extending her arms, she
exclaimed, "Prenez-la, tant que vous voudrez mainte-
najit," well knowing that the bashful monarch would
never attempt to seek the letter in so singular an asylum.

Whether it was from antipathy to his wife, or from the
fear of having unworthily bestowed his confidence, Louis
withdrew his attentions from Mademoiselle de Hautefort,
and attached himself more closely than ever to Made-
moiselle Lafayette, who was a pretty brunette; but
though much less beautiful than Clara, she had the merit
of repaying his fondness by a sincere affection. His only
pleasure appeared to consist in hearing her converse and
sing, and he sought in her society those consolations
which the vexations caused him by the imperious cardi-
nal rendered so necessary. This platonic love caused
the queen no uneasiness, and Anne of Austria enter-
tained great friendship for Mademoiselle de Lafayette.
This young lady was the only daughter of John de La-
fayette and Margaret de Bourbon Busset ; her modesty
and high birth rendered her a desirable attendant for the
queen, and at the age of eighteen she was appointed
maid of honour.

Richelieu had chosen Joseph de Tremblay to be Louis
XIII. 's confessor. This man was talented, artful, and
ambitious, and conceived the bold project of supplanting
the cardinal, to effect which he obtained the assistance

VOL. II. — 11

122 QUEEN AND REGENT

of his cousin Louisa Mary de Lafayette, and both strove
to undermine the power of the prelate, who, skilful poli-
tician as he was, soon discovered the error he had com-
mitted in suflfering two relatives to be the intimates of
the king. Pere Joseph failed in his perilous enterprise,
and Richelieu entertained great animosity for the royal
favourite, whom he endeavoured by every means to
remove from the court.

At this period, 1637, Anne of Austria, who had sought
consolation in her sadness by corresponding with her
brother, the king of Spain, and several persons at the
courts of Madrid and Brussels, was accused by the car-
dinal of intriguing against the king and state. Louis
was easily persuaded of his wife's criminality, and re-
solved, at the instigation of the minister, to detect and
punish her. He accordingly gave order to the chancel-
lor Seguier, who proceeded to the convent of Val-de-
Grace, where he broke open the closets in her apartment,
searched the drawers and boxes, seized all her papers,
interrogated the nuns and the queen herself, and even
obliged her to deliver up a letter which she had concealed
about her person. At the same time he arrested and im-
prisoned all her faithful attendants, and Anne was con-
strained to follow her husband to Chantilly, where she
was closely confined in her own chamber, and attended

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 123

only by a few persons who were absolutely necessary for
her service.

As disgrace is contagious, the courtiers avoided all who
were considered attached to her ; it was remarked that in
crossing the court-yard of the palace no persons even
dared to turn their eyes towards the windows of her
apartment, and it was publicly reported that she was to
be sent back to Spain ; — a singular menace after a twenty
years' marriage ! The queen's agents denied all know-
ledge of the clandestine correspondence imputed to her;
and notwithstanding the threats of Richelieu, who ques-
tioned them like a man bent on finding them culpable,
and who, to terrify them into an avowal, placed the in-
struments of torture before their eyes, they still remained
steadfast to their assertions of entire ignorance.

The queen, who had been reprimanded in open council
on the occasion of Chalais' conspiracy, had been obliged
to sign a paper by which she acknowledged that she had
been guilty of an imprudence ; for when Richelieu could
not find suificient proofs of criminality against the ob-
jects of his hatred, one of his plans of policy was to
procure a document against them, in case of a relapse,
or a new opportunity for accusation. But his ill-will on
this occasion, though carried to extremes, was without
effect ; and it was believed that the chancellor must have
secretly warned the queen of the search he was about

124 QUEEN AND REGENT

to make, for they found nothing in the escritoires at
Val-cle-Grace but useless papers, and in the closets
several sackcloth garments and monastic scourges, which
it was believed were placed there in derision of the car-
dinal. The queen was at length permitted to return to
Paris, and Richelieu, as was his usual custom, took the
credit of having befriended her throughout the affair,
and also of having, through his solicitations, restored
her to the king's favour.

But the reconciliation of Louis XIII. and Anne of
Austria was in reality the result of the remonstrances
of Mademoiselle de Lafayette, whose conduct offers a
model of virtue rarely to be found in history. Sensible
of the king's affection for her, she loved him, interested
herself in his glory, and was desirous of restoring happi-
ness to him in the bosom of his family, as well as in his
kingdom ; but Louis's pusillanimity prevented the ac-
complishment of her desires. "When he beheld himself
surrounded with intrigues, he believed it was impossible
to overcome them without the aid of his minister ; while
every other person believed that it was his minister who
encompassed him with the troubles like nets, to oblige
him to retain his services, and that upon his absence all
difficulties would be surmounted. But it was difficult to
impress those ideas upon the king's mind without Riche-
lieu perceiving it, and still more difficult to prevent him

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 125

from eradicating them ; and Mademoiselle Lafayette
ackno-n-ledged with grief that Louis was conscious of his
cliain, but believed it indispensable, and that to preserve
the monarch's favour she must permit to partake of his
bondage. Too proud to be dependent upon the will of
any but that of her sovereign, and moreover feeling
alarmed for her virtue, she determined to break an
attachment the result of which she feared would be inju-
rious to the happiness of both. She herself recounts
that Louis, who was usually very reserved, one day
offered her an apartment at A^ersailles, where he could
visit her more freely, and that he made this offer with a
Avarmth and tenderness of manner that surprised her.
Mademoiselle Lafayette does not say that she partook
of the king's emotion, but she confesses that she loved
him, and that after some remonstrances he apologized to
her for giving way to the transports of his passion ; that
she was ashamed of having occasioned it, and considered
that the best means of securing them both against their
mutual weakness was to separate ; moreover she thought
she could serve the king better by her friendly advice
when in a convent free from the investigation of the min-
ister. She accordingly retired to that of the Visitation,
at Paris.

The king urged her not to take the veil, and confessed
that his consent to her retirement from court cost him
11 *

12G QUEEN AND REGENT

much sorrow; and Richelieu, who had hastened her re-
treat, by fortifying Louis's scruples, gained nothing, for,
although the latter left Paris, and went to reside at
Grosbois, he saw her more frequently than ever, feeling
that they were safe from all indiscretion by the position
that his respected and much beloved friend had chosen ;
and she, being beyond the cardinal's displeasure, and
having nothing to lose, spoke her sentiments and gave
him her advice more freely.

The king's visits to the parlour of the Visitation were
so long and so frequent, that they caused Richelieu in-
finite anxiety, and, despairing of dissolving a tie which
was strengthened by gentle familiarity and true friend-
ship, sought amongst Louis's most intimate attendants a
spy who could discover all that passed between the mon-
arch and the favourite. His choice fell upon a valet-dc-
chambre called Boisinval. This perfidious servant re-
peated all their conversation to the cardinal, and even
procured him the letters which Louis wrote and received
from Mademoiselle de Lafayette ; some of them he sup-
pressed, others falsified, and introduced into them ex-
pressions which he knew would wound ; and thus suc-
ceeded in creating discontent and coldness between them,
which so much piqued the priik' of both, that they ceased
to see each other, without deigning to explain the reason
why.

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 127

The queen, who was much attached to Mademoiselle
de Lafayette, was exceedingly grieved at this estrange-
•ment between her friend and the king, for, although she
had never displayed the same attachment for Anne of
Austria as Mademoiselle Hautefort had done, she had
rendered her much greater services in the efforts she had
made to reconcile her husband to her.

The sad and valetudinary Louis, after a short separa-
tion, felt once more inclined to call at the parlour of
the Visitation without the knowledge of the cardinal,
where he held a long conversation w^ith Mademoiselle
de Lafayette, who had discovered Richelieu's intrigue,
and fully explained to him that they had been the sub-
jects of the minister's treachery ; and at the same time
profited by the ascendancy she gained over the king in
the discovery, by destroying the unhappy prejudices he
had conceived against his wife, and aflfecting the reunion
of the royal pair. She was so urgent on the occasion,
and entreated him so warmly to be reunited to her, that
Louis, who had remained at the convent too late to
return to Grosbois that night, left her with the promise
to repair to his wife's apartment in the Louvre ; and the
consequences of this reunion, after twelve years of total
estrangement and twenty-two of sterility, was the birth
of the dauphin, afterwards Louis XIV., in 1638.

The queen, who gratefully acknowledged the kind

128 QUEEN AND REGENT

offices of Mademoiselle de Lafayette, exerted all her
efforts to prevent the consummation of her vows ; but her
endeavours were fruitless, as also the prayers of the king,-
which, finding it difficult to resist, she put an end to by
immediately taking the veil in tlie convent of the Visita-
tion, where she lived esteemed by all, after giving the
world the example of a young girl, who, in the age of
passion, and surrounded by temptations, generously
immolated herself, not only to escape crime, but also to
avoid drawing the monarch whom she loved into the same
offence. This virtuous Visitandine died in 16G5, at the
convent of Saint Marie de Chaillat, of wliich she was
the benefactress.

In 1640 Anne of Austria gave birth to a second son,
the duke of Anjou (afterwards of Orleans), at Saint Ger-
main ; but she lived on very indifferent terms with her
husband, who always retained his resentment against
her, and, as he found his end approaching, expressed
the greatest repugnance towards leaving the regency in
her hands. He even banished his confessor Sirmond
for having proposed to him to confer that dignity upon
the queen. Of all the wounds which he declared he had
suffered at the hand of Anne of Austria, that wliich
affected him most was the part she had taken in the
affair of Chalais ; he always reproached her with having
desired his death, and Avhen, seeing her husband about

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 129

to descend into the tomb, the queen entreated him to
discard that odious idea, he remarked to Chavigni,
''Dans I'dtat oii je suis, je dois lui pardonner, mais je ne
suis pas oblige de la croire."

With this prejudice, added to subsequent intrigues
"which he believed she had been concerned in, the per-
suasion that she was incapable of governing, and her
attachment to Spain, it is not surprising that Louis XIII.
was desirous of excluding Anne of Austria from the re-
gency ; but he sought in vain for a substitute, having no
greater esteem for his brother than for his wife, both of
whom he had been led bj his minister to dislike. He
enumerated Gaston's faults, amongst which he charged
him with ingratitude and treason, and concluded by
declaring him unfit for any appointment in the kingdom,
above all the regency. This withering declaration was
registered a few days after Louis's death.

Necessity at length obliged him to act in opposition
to his wishes. Richelieu was no longer alive to consult ;
and in 1642 Anne of Austria was named regent and the
duke of Orleans lieutenant-general of the kingdom ; but
neither of them could perform any important act without
the concurrence of a sovereign council, which he created,
and prohibited them from changing. This council was
composed of cardinal Mazarin, and Monsieurs Seguier,

130 QUEEN AND EEGENT

cle Bouthilier, and de Chavignl, with the prince of Cond^
at their head.

After making his Avife and brother swear to abide by
his wishes, he signed the decree, and wrote beneath it
with his own hand, " Ce qui est dessus est ma tres ex-
presse et derniere volontd, que je voux etre ex^cutee."
A month after, Louis breathed his last sigh, little re-
gretted in death, as he had been little loved in life.

He had taken every precaution to limit the power of
his wife, who from the time the decree was made had
incessantly thought about the best means of setting aside
the restriction of her power which had been instituted
by the dying king, who had scarcely passed from the
world before his widow arrived with a brilliant escort,
made lier triumphal entry into Paris, and immediately
repaired to the house of Parliament to procure the abro-
gation of the king's will.

The prince of Condd yielded his power at the instiga-
tion of his wife, who was the queen's intimate friend,
upon the promise of superior advantages. To induce
Seguier and others to abandon their power, Anne of
Austria offered them the same authority under another
title ; as for the duke of Orleans, she possessed sufficient
influence over him to lead him as she liked : accordingly,
in the year 1643, in presence of the young king Louis
XIV., the duke of Orleans, and the peers of France,

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 131

Anne of Austria was declared resent of the kingdom
and guardian of lier son without restriction, and at lib-
erty to form her council bj her own will ; and thus Louis
XIII. 's tres expresse et derniere volante was respected !

The queen's next act was to recall those friends who
had been exiled, amongst whom were the duchess de
Chevreuse and the marquis de Chiiteauneuf, both of
whom the late king had prohibited from ever reappearing
at court. She also recalled Clara de Hautefort, who was
exiled b}^ Richelieu in 1637, on suspicion of having, in
order to serve the queen, transmitted to her secretary
Laporte, at the Bastille, the replies he was to make to
his examiners, at the period when the queen was accused
of conspiring with the Spaniards. As Clara's generosity
deserved better treatment, the king was universally blamed
for suffering her banishment to take place ; but she suf-
fered with resignation, and retired at first to a convent,
but, not finding a monastical life agreeable, she quitted
it for the country. The queen had never forgotten the
services which Clara had rendered her during the cardi-
nal's life, and penned with her o-\vn hand these words :
" Yenez, ma chere amie ; je meurs d'impaticnce de vous
embrasser." She also sent her own carriage to fetch
Mademoiselle de Hautefort, and reinstated her in her
former situation of dame d'atours.

Some time after, Clara, whose morality was rigidly

132 QUEEN AND REGENT

strict, and -wlio was desirous of saving the reputation of
her mistress, ventured to make some observations to her
respecting the attachment she manifested for Mazarin,
and the power she placed in his hands ; but Anne, though
kind hearted and of an obliging disposition, would not
suffer her most familiar friends to direct her. Having
become mistress of herself, and at liberty to follow her
own tastes, she declared firmly that she would not be
restrained in her choice of confidants, nor exposed to
remonstrances or criticisms. Mademoiselle de Hautefort,
who had known her only under oppression, was unpre-
pared for such a reprimand, and she found, too late, that
her remarks were so unwelcome to the queen, that she
was again exiled in 1644, and never forgiven.

Being then only thirty years of age, and enjoying an
unsullied reputation, Clara de Hautefort was asked in
marriage by Charles de Schomberg, duke of Halluyn,
Marshal of France, to whom she was united in the year
1646. At the expiration of ten years, having had the
misfortune to lose her husband, with whom she had lived
happily, she resolved on spending the remainder of her
life in retirement ; but her character for wisdom and vir-
tue was so universally admitted, that Louis XIV. wrote
her two successive letters, one dated from Valenciennes,
and the other from Versailles, requesting her to accept
the title and ofiice of dame d'honneur to the queen Maria

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 133

Thdrese : " Afin de remettre a la cour la dignity et la
grandeur qu'on commen^ait a n'y plus voir." Madame
Schomberg thanked the king, but refused his oflfer on
account of her advanced age. She afterwards retired
to the convent of La Madelaine du Trainel, at Paris,
where she lived universally esteemed, and died much re-
gretted in 1691, aged seventy-five yeafs. She left no
family.

The queen, whose stormy regency proved so great a
calamity for France, assumed little appearance of regret
at the loss of her husband, and even during the period
of mourning constantly frequented the theatre, of which
she was passionately fond. The curate of Saint Ger-
main I'Auxerrois vainly observed to her the impropriety,
of such unseasonable recreation ; but her more complai-
sant courtiers were of a contrary opinion, and the queen
preferred their advice, as according better with her own
inclinations. Nevertheless, when at St. Germain sho
led a very regular life, and even appointed fixed hours
for her walks and drives, but she never rose before noon.
She also observed her religious duties with rigorous ex-
actitude.

Anne of Austria at first displayed some antipathy for
Cardinal Mazarin, because he was one of those who wisely
counselled the king to limit the power of the regent ; she
carried her resentment on account of that advice so far

VOL. II. — 12

134 QUEEN AND REGENT

as to nominate her almoner, Auguste Potier, bishop of
Beauvais, prime minister, although he was indolent, in-
experienced, and in every respect incapable of conducting
the affairs of state.

But Mazarin, whom Louis XIII. had chosen as god-
father to the dauphin, by his persuasive and skilful man-
ners soon gained an entire empire over the mind of Anne
of Austria, Avho had so high an opinion of his sagacity
and talents, that she considered him alone capable of
supplying her own insufficiency ; moreover, she was
aware that he held the key of foreign affairs, and he
therefore replaced Potior in the ministry. His influence
was such, that to satisfy him she even sacrificed two of
her most intimate freinds — the duchess of Chevreuse
and Monlbazon, who were exiled.

The commencement of Anne's regency was exceed-
ingly brilliant in consequence of the "victories gained
by the prince of Cond^, particularly that of the battle
of Eocroy in 1646. But these fair days did not last
long. Mazarin was hated because he knew not how to
attract either esteem or confidence, which are the pivots
of government ; he burdened the nation with taxes, and
the numerous court intrigues caused the queen to multi-
ply the odious lettres de cachet. This excess of evil
roused the turbulent spirits, who excited the people to
revolt against the government of a Spanish queen and

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 135

an Italian cardinal ; the parliament declined to register
their vexatious edicts, and remonstrated with the refrent,
■who refused to heed them. The murmurs against her
were incessant, for her reputation was not only sullied
with suspicions injurious to her honour, but she was
openly blamed for placing all her confidence in a fo-
reigner who could hardly speak the language of the
country he attempted to govern.

Thus Anne provoked an insurrection, which broke
out upon the cardinal imprisoning three of the most
popular of the councillors. Such was the origin of the
Fronde, which commenced in 1648. The streets of
Paris were barricaded, and the outraged people with
furious cries demanded the liberation of the prisoners
Broussel, Charton, and Potior de Blanc Menit. Mazarin
trembled for the consequences of this revolt ; but the
queen, more courageous, shut herself in the Palais Royal,
which she inhabited with the young king, and sent a
regiment of Swiss and French guards to put down the
rebels. The coadjutor Retz, who was an instigator of
the rebellion, appeared in the queen's presence dressed
in his pontifical robes, and informed her that the sedi-
tion was caused by the detention of the parliamentary
councillors. " C'est etre soi-meme coupable de rebel-
lion," replied Anne of Austria courageously, "que de
croire qu'on puisse se revolter contre le roi ; vous vou-

136 QUEEN AND REGENT

driez que je donasse la liberty a Broussel, mais je
I'etranglerai plutot de mes deux mains."

Mazarin, who attempted to address some words of
peace to the people, was received with a shower of stones,
and the queen who energetically sustained the power of
which she had made so bad a use, declared that she
would never open the gates of the prisoners until the
people had thrown down their arms and dispersed ; they
accordingly yielded to her will, and Broussel, who was
set at liberty, triumphantly re-entered Paris in one of
the royal carriages.

Nevertheless the storm continued gradually to in-
crease ; many noblemen of the court embraced the party
of the Fronde and determined on the dismissal of Maza-
rin ; and Anne, who obstinately insisted on retaining
her favourite minister in opposition to all France, was
obliged in 1649 to leave Paris furtively in the middle
of the night, and retire to Saint Germain with the young
king, who was then ten years of age. She was accom-
panied by the duke of Orleans, the prince of Conde, and
all the royal family, as also the author of the evil, Car-
dinal Mazarin, with whom she was living on terms of the
greatest intimacy, and whom the antiquarian Dulaure
asserts that she secretly married.

The court fled so precipitately from Paris, that they
found themselves, in the middle of a severe winter, with-

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 137

out furniture, clothes, or provisions, and exposed to the
greatest privations ; so that those who were not, like the
queen and the cardinal, sustained by anger and the hope
of vengeance, earnestly desired peace before the war had
commenced. The regent's measures were so badly
arranged, that in leaving Paris she did not even think
of securing to herself the Bastille, which could have kept
the town in order, but left it occupied by twenty-two
thousand soldiers, who were without bread or ammunition,
under the command of Tremblay, brother of the celebrated
Father Joseph : that fortress was accordingly taken.
The irritated queen at length resolved to blockade Paris,
hoping to bring the people to submission by famine.
The parliament sent a deputation, but she refused to
receive it, replying that on the day following the town
would be besieged by twenty-five thousand men.

At this period the English parliament, under Oliver
Cromwell, decapitated their sovereign, Charles I. ; and
his widow, who was daughter of Henry the Great, fled
with her daughter to Paris, where they lived in a state
of the most profound misery, wanting even fuel during
the severity of the winter. The appearance of her sister-
in-law in this desolate state was a grave lesson for the
queen, who, with Mazarin, endeavoured to win over the
heads of the revolt by promising a cardinal's hat to one,
a government to another, ;ind money to several ; and after
12 *

139 QUEEN AND REGENT

a slight combat at the Porte Saint- Antoine, Cond^ and
his troops entered Paris : the king offered an entire am-
nesty, and the Frondeurs dispersed.

Four months after these events the court returned to
Paris, and such was the volatile nature of the people,
that they displayed the most lively signs of rejoicing on
the queen's entry into the capital, and even kissed her
robe, although Mazarin was at her side.

The days which followed were too bright and peaceful
to last in those times of agitation, and various court in-
trigues determined the arrest and imprisonment of the
duke of Longueville and the prince of Cond^, who,
twelve months before, had so successfully defended the
regent. The news of this arrest again threw France into
confusion : the parliament claimed their liberation ; the
discontented reunited against Mazarin, who fled from
Paris ; and the queen, made prisoner in the Palais Royal,
was obliged to set the princes at liberty, and give an un-
willing dismissal to her favourite minister. She vainly
endeavoured to hasten a second time from Paris under
favour of night, but all the doors and avenues of the palace
were guarded, and several of the people, who feared
that the king had been privately removed from the town,
demanded the satisfaction of seeing him. The queen
accordingly opened the doors of his sleeping apartment,
and the crowd entered, but, imposing silence and the cir-

ANNE OF AUSTRIA. 139

cumspection of respect on one another, they gazed "uith
a kind of avidity on their young sovereign, whose youth-
ful graces were embellished by the calm of a profound
sleep.

Anne could not live happily without the cardinal, and
by unwearied exertions obtained his recall, but it vras to
her own disadvantage ; for, with the view of maintaining
his influence at court when the majority of Louis would
place the reins of government in his hands, he paid
homage to the young king, and endeavoured to create a
difference between him and his mother ; and from that
period, 1651, Mazarin absorbed all public authority, and
preserved it until his death. It was, no doubt, this un-
grateful conduct that, in some measure, caused Anne of
Austria to reject the thought of Louis XIV. 's marriage
with Marie Mancini, the cardinal's niece, with so much
indignation : " Si le roi faisait un tel mariage," she said
with her usual energy to the ambitious prelate, "je
m'unirais a la France centre mon fils, et centre vous."

In 1654 she dismissed Marie Mancini from court and
negotiated Louis XIV. 's marriage with her niece, Maria
Therese, the Infanta of Spain. France was weary of
the long war with Spain, and this union, which was con-
cluded in 1659 by the preliminaries of the treaty of the
Pyrenees, was the token of peace. After the king's
marriage, Anne of Austria retired from public affairs.

140 QUEEN AND REGENT

In 1661 she learned the death of Mazarin, for whom she
had compromised her crown and her dignity, but his loss
gave her little pain.

Religious duties occupied the latter years of this once
restless spirit. Louis XIV., Avho entertained profound
sentiments of respect for social duties, received his mo-
ther's counsel upon all occasions with the greatest defer-
ence, notwithstanding she never spared her reproofs on
the subject of his neglect of his queen and his public acts
of infidelity.

For the space of three years she bore the seeds of death
in her bosom in the form of a cancer, and during the
last eighteen months of her life this devouring malady
almost caused her more cruel sufferino-s that her courajre
was equal to sustain. This princess was singularly deli-
cate in all that concerned the care of her person ; it was
difficult to find cambric or lawn sufficiently fine for lier
use, so that Cardinal Mazarin jocosely remarked that
" En purgatoire sa punition serait de coucher dans des
draps de toile d'Hollande."

Anne of Austria experienced many vicissitudes in her
life ; at one time tormented and mortified by an impe-
rious minister, and an object of compassion to the people,
and at another outraged and rebelled against by those
very people. Notwithstanding her attachment to Spain,
she made war against that country as if she had never

ANNE OF AUSTPvIA. 141

loyed it ; and in her retirement her domestic virtues ■\vcre
such, that she had the satisfaction of seeing the nation
do justice to her estimable qualities.

In her malady she offered a terrible example of the
fragility of human grandeur and personal charms, "which
she often remarked herself to the ladies in attendance
on her, looking with compassion on her hands and arms,
once so beautiful and much admired. Her greatest con-
solation was to be surrounded by her family, and,
equally occupied in procuring and doing good without
interfering with the government, her last days were
passed in the calm of virtue.

During her illness she displayed the greatest patience ;
those who approached her were only aware of her agony
by her involuntary movements, and her countenance
wore the smile of benevolence to the last. The king,
queen, duke of Anjou, and Madame Henriette were
constantly at her side, and with her last breath she was
anxious to let them know how agreeable was their care
and assiduity, and how much she was consoled by their
tears.

The king regretted her sincerely, for she had failed in
no point of maternal affection. Notwithstanding the
embarrassment which civil war constantly occasioned her
during her son's infancy, she presided over his education,
assisted in instructing him, and assiduously avoided his

142 QUEEN AND REGENT ANNE OF AUSTRIA.

foi'ming an acquaintance with any person from ■whom he
could acquire vicious habits. In inspiring him with
noble and elevated sentiments, she endeavoured to pre-
vent his being dazzled by the brilliancy of the crown,
and engraved on his heart a sincere respect for religion,
which he always revered, even when far from acting
according to its principles.

It has been asserted that, by the counsel of a fanatical
confessor, when dying she petitioned Louis XIV. for the
revocation of the edict of Nantes, which guaranteed
protection to the Protestants. If there be any founda-
tion for this assertion, the name of Anne of Austria
must have been hateful to the French even after her
death.

Daughter, wife, sister, and mother of kings, she pos-
sessed all the dignity which belonged to her elevated
rank ; she was proud, but her manner was exquisitely
polished, so that the marquis de la Fare mentions her
epoch as that of the purest gallantry.

Anne was a great admirer of the fine arts ; the works
which she executed were, the entire restoration of Val-
de-Grace, and the dome. Before the birth of Louis XIV.,
an Augustine monk having predicted that she would
have a son, she made a vow to construct a chapel to
Notre Dame de Savone. She had not, however, the
time to fulfil her intentions, and Louis XIV. accom-

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 143

plished her vow. This queen both loved and encouraged
literature. An author having asked her protection to
enable him to publish some historical memoirs of that
period vidthout danger, "Ne craignez ricn," she said;
"je protegerai toujours la verite."

Her blind attachment to Mazarin is the greatest stain
in her government, although she displayed eminent cou-
rage in maintaining her adherence to him. Louis XIV.
said that his mother, as regent, should be ranked among
the greatest kings of the earth ; but less partial posterity-
has not ratified his judgment, for her good qualities were
not so numerous as to obliterate the memory of her
faults. Slie expired in 16G6, at the age of sixty-five
years, and was entombed at St. Denis.

QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

(Reign of Louis XIV.)

Maria Theresa was the only daughter of Philip IV.,
king of Spain, and of Elizabeth of France, sister to
Louis XIIL, and niece of Anne of Austria. She was
born at the Escurial in 1638, five days after Louis XIV.

Although endowed with many personal as well as
moral advantages, and the issue of blood royal, this

144 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

princess passed her life in comparative obscurity. Modest
and retiring, she had no ambitious views, and was an
entire stranger to political affairs. Gentle, virtuous, and
an enemy to intrigue, she spared no efforts to gain the
king's affection, but was fortunate enough only to obtain
his esteem and friendship.

Louis XIV. 's mother had constantly oveidooked his
conduct, and, to prevent temptation, did not suffer him
to associate with any women of an equivocal reputation.
Happy would it have been could she have succeeded in
moderating those unruly passions that led him into dis-
orders, which history, the protectress of morality, can-
not disguise. The young king, escaping from her sur-
veillance, first professed a predilection for Madame de
Beauvais, duchess of Chatillon, who was thirty-three
years older than himself. This lady was consequently
dismissed from court by the queen-mother, but through
her address was soon recalled, and always possessed
great influence with Louis. She spent the last years of
her life upon her own estate of Gentilly, which had been
given to her by him, and died there in 1687. Her
daughter, a model of all the virtues, was the duchess of
Richelieu, the particular friend of Maria Theresa.

Mazarin, whose views were exceedingly ambitious,
sent to Italy for his five nieces, who were like himself,
of noble family, and all very beautiful. They were the

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 145

daughters of his sister Geronima Mazarini, and Laurent
Mancini, a Roman baron. The eldest, Saura Vittoria,
was married in 1651 to the duke of Mercoeur, son of the
duke of Vendome and grandson of Henry the Great;
the fourth was united to the duke of Bouillon ; and the
fifth, Hortense, was the wife of the duke of Meilleraie.
Olympia, the second sister, was the first to whom Louis
was attached, in 1654. She was of the same age as
himself, and is described as having been a perfect beauty ;
her voice was melodious, her language seducing, and the
gentleness of her disposition gained her the love of all
hearts.

The queen-mother, perceiving the attachment that
existed between the young king and Olympia Mancini,
endeavoured to break the liaison by proposing a union
for her with Eugene Maurice of Savoy, count de Sois-
sons, to whom she was married in 1657. This separa-
tion cost some tears to the young lovers ; but Louis,
having been attacked with a dangerous illness at Calais,
felt hurt at the indifi"erence displayed by the countess
de Soissons, and from that time his affection was trans-
ferred from her to her younger sister, Marie Mancini ;
nevertheless Olympia enjoyed that intimacy with the
sovereign which results from an acquaintance formed in
childhood. She resided at court in the quality of super-
intendent to the queen's household, which office the Car-

VOL. II. — 13

146 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

dinal Mazarin created expressly for her. Nothing sur-
passed the luxury of her apartments, her carriages, and
her attendants. She lost immense sums at play, for the
king never gave her less than two thousand louis at a
time. She resided in the Tuileries, and was the centre
of attraction at court, which, like her uncle Mazarin,
she ruled over by her art and address. It was in her
saloons that Louis XIV. acquired those polished manners
for which he was so much admired.

In 1665 the countess de Soissons was exiled, having,
either through hatred or jealousy, informed Maria The-
resa of the king's attachment to Mademoiselle de la
Yalliere. She, however, returned to coui't some time
after, from whence she was obliged to fly upon a new
charge, having been accused of participating in several
acts of poisoning, more especially that of her husband ;
she accordingly retired to Spain. The young queen of
that country ardently desired to see the countess of
Soissons, notwithstanding the opposition of her husband,
wlio urged her not to drink anything in the presence of
that lady, unless it had been previously tasted by one
of her devoted servants. This precaution was either
neglected or paralyzed, and the unfortunate queen died
from the effects of poison, after having drunk some milk
which was presented to her by the countess de Soissons.
The king immediately sent to arrest her, but she had

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 147

already disappeared, and directed her flight towards
Germany. This evasion is the only argument which can
be adduced in support of the accusation, as the interest
she could have had in committing such a crime is unknown,
or at least doubtful.

The countess de Soissons died at Brussels, greatly
impoverished and little esteemed, in the year 1707 ; she
was the mother of five princes, amongst whom was the
commander so celebrated under the name of Prince
Eugene.

During the dangerous illness with which the king was
attacked at Calais, Marie Mancini manifested great
anxiety for liis recovery. Although not so beautiful as
either of her sisters, she possessed the charm of an
amiable disposition ; moreover she loved Louis Avith a
frankness and sincerity which he recompensed by the
lively interest he felt for her. Marie was exceedingly
clever, and exhibited as much talent in the compilation
of a dispatch as in the composition of poetry, for which
she obtained some little celebrity.

On his recovery, Louis became tenderly attached to
his former playmate, and from that time never appeared
in public unaccompanied by her; she even followed him
into the apartments of Anne of Austria, who vainly
expressed the discontent which the presence of his mistress
caused her.

148 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

Louis more than once hinted his intention of marry-
ing her, and Mazarin, by way of discovering the queen-
mother's ideas on the subject, one day said to her, " Je
crains bien que le roi ne veuille trop fortemcnt ^pouser
ma niece ;" and it was upon that occasion that she
ordered him to break that engagement under pain of
incurring her displeasure, and the revolt of all France
against him.

In consequence of this declaration, the cardinal, who
knew the firmness of her resolution, renounced the bril-
liant illusion of obtaining a crown for one of his family,
and afterwards earnestly endeavoured to persuade the
king to forego an attachment which was both prejudicial
to his glory and his interests, and seriously occupied
himself with negotiating a suitable marriage with a fo-
reign princess.

The queen-mother and the cardinal diifered in their
choice, which was divided between Maria Theresa and
Margaret of Savoy. Anne desired the Infanta, for the
double advantage of having a daughter-in-law of her
own blood, and peace with Spain. Mazarin's choice in-
clined towards the princess of Savoy, for having already
married one of his nieces to the count of Soissons, cou-
sin to the duke of Savoy, and no longer daring to flatter
himself with the hope of placing Marie Mancini upon
the throne, he thou2;ht that at least he would endeavour

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 149

to raise his relative to that honour by marrying the
princess Margaret to the king. Accordingly he sent to
invite the duke of Savoy and his daughter Margaret to
meet the court at Lyon, At the same time, Spain, who
had projected a union with France, sent an ambassador
(Antonio Pimentello) to Lyon, to offer the Infanta Maria
Theresa.

The queen-mother undertook to explain to the princess
of Savoy the motives for preferring an alliance with
Spain, and the contract for Louis's marriage with the
Infanta was entered into and signed in 1659.

Marie Mancini was desirous of accompanying the
court to Lyon, but the will of the queen-mother was pre-
dominant on this occasion ; moreover, the cardinal wished
her to discard hopes that could never be realized, and
therefore sent her to a convent at Brouage. The sepa-
ration of the young lovers was affecting, and the monarch
could not restrain his tears. "Ah, sire," said Marie,
tenderly, " vous pleurez : vous etes roi, et je pars."
After her departure the king threw himself at his mother's
feet to obtain her consent to his marriage with his favour-
ite, thus offering to sacrifice the interests of an alliance
with Spain, and cursing the weight of his crown, which
exposed him to greater slavery than the lowest peasant
in his kingdom. His pathetic appeal almost induced
Anne to accede to his wishes ; the two young lovers
13 *

150 QUEEN MAIUA THERESA.

were re-united at Saint-Jean-d'Angeli, and ^laric Man-
cini had already one foot on the throne, when, recover-
ing her natural energy, the queen-mother prepared a
fulminating address to the nation : moreover, the Infanta
of Spain was approaching the frontiers ; was she to re-
ceive a mortifying affront, and thus renew the war which
her presence in France would conclude ? Louis showed
himself worthy of the rank he occupied, and the sacri-
fice was completed in 1660.

The king of France, accompanied by Turenne, met
the king of Spain on the frontiers, in the Isle of Con-
ference, and the marriage was celebrated with great
pomp at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, by the bishop of Bayonne.
During the ceremony the dame d'atours, Madame de
Noailles, supported the crown upon the queen's head.

The king and his royal consort repaired to Vincenne?,
in order to give the Parisians time to make preparations
for a magnificent entry into the capital, which took place
by the Barriere du Trone. On this occasion the nobility
and the bourgeoise rivalled each other in the luxury of
their dresses and equipages. Gold and precious stones
sparkled on all sides : " Tel qui de deux moulins ne fit
qu'un habit." Seventy mules ornamented with gold
trappings formed a part of Mazarin's cortege ; and his
house was so sumptuously ornamented, with even more
than royal pomp, that Monsieur, who could not entirely

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 151

excuse it, ironically termed it fasteuse simplicite. The
youth aud beauty of the young couple, and the immense
concourse of people, augmented the brilliancy of the
fete. Madame de Maintenon (then Madame Scarron),
who was among the crowd, in writing a description of it
to one of her friends, remarked that for twelve hours
she was all ears and eyes ; that she could not have be-
lieved or imagined a sight so beautiful ; and, added she,
" The queen ought to be very happy and contented with
the husband she has chosen."

The king's marriage did not immediately lessen his
sentiments of affection for Marie Mancini, who struggled
to overcome her attachment. But the queen-mother,
who was uneasy at the thought of her remaining at court,
resolved to marry her to a foreigner in order to remove
her from France. She succeeded in effecting a union
between her and the grand constable of Naples, Lorenzo
Onofrio Colonna, in 1661. The ceremony took place at
the Louvre, one month after the death of Mazarin : Louis
loaded his beloved mistress with presents, and she was
conducted to Italy by her husband.

At Rome she met her sister Hortcnsia, duchess of
Meilleraie, and this sister bestowed very bad counsel on
her, for they both quitted their husbands, and, disguised
in men's dresses, embarked at Civita Vecchia for Pro-
vence, in order to meet their lovers, the count de Marsnu,

152 QUEEN MAEIA THERESA.

and the chevalier de Lorraine, the same who was sus-
pected of having poisoned Madame Henrietta, wife of
Philip duke of Orleans, and sister-in-law to Louis XIV.
The grand constable having sent a trusty friend to Maria
at Marseilles, requesting her to return to him, she
replied only by a letter, and continued her journey under
the same disguise ; accordingly she was arrested at Aix
in 1670, and confined by her husband in the chateau of
Segovie, but by order of Louis was moved to the abbey
of Lys, from whence she escaped to Germany in 1673.
Having become the object of well-merited sarcasms,
Maria implored the grand constable's pardon, and this
too indulgent husband obtained from the pope " une
excommunication centre ceux qui parleraient mal de
Madame la Conndtable." Moreover, he had been
recently appointed viceroy of Arragon, and she was
desirous of sharing that brilliant position. But, far
from being received as she expected, her scandalous con-
duct caused her to be slighted and avoided ; she again
left her husband's dwelling, and continued to lead a
wandering life, until, lier divorce having been pronounced,
she retired to a convent in ^Madrid, where she died, in
1715, aged seventy years. She had two sons, one of whom
succeeded his father as grand constable of Naples, the
other M'as Cardinal Colonna. Maria Mancini has left a

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 153

treatise on meteorological events, and memoirs of her
own private life.

For some months the young queen was the only object
of Louis's attentions, during which time she occupied
the first rank, which a little later was bestowed on his
favourite ; for, instead of submitting to the royal forms
and the fatigues which accompany royalty, Maria The-
resa preferred living more calmly and retiredly. In
1661 she gave birth to a daughter, and after-wards was
attacked with the measles, during which malady the king
attended her himself so assiduously, that he contracted
the disease.

Notwithstanding these marks of tenderness, the queen-
mother had remarked that Madame Henrietta and the
king partook of an affection, in which Monsieur suffered
in his dignity as husband. At all the entertainments
and carousals, Louis was the cavalier of Henrietta ; at
all the balls they danced together ; in all Benserade's
ballads there were allusions to them which none could
misunderstand — the king was the lily, the duchess of
Orleans the rose.

Madame Henrietta, daughter of the unfortunate
Charles I. of England, the princess whose life, or rather
whose death, has immortalized Bossuet, although at that
time only seventeen years of age, bore that beautiful and
fatal impress of sadness which characterized the coun-

154 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

tenances of all the Stuarts. Her form was fragile and
delicate ; she had her great-grandmother Mary Stuart's
swan-like throat, which was of such pure transparency,
that a modern author has remarked, "Qu'on eut pu voir
k travers couler le poison du Chevalier de Lorraine."

Anne of Austria, who saw with anxiety Louis's atten-
tions to his sister-in-law, judged it time to put an end to
them, and accordingly endeavoured to cure one passion
by inspiring another ; she therefore in some measure
encouraged him in a predilection he had formed for
Mademoiselle de la Valliere, judging that from her hum-
ble position, and simple and retiring manners, no posi-
tive evil could accrue.

Louise Frances de la Beaume-Leblanc, duchess de la
Valliere and de Vaujour, was daughter of the marquis
de la Valliere, and born at Amboise, of which place her
father was governor, in 1644. Her mother having on
her third marriage united herself with the marquis de
Saint Remi, first 7nattre d'hotel to the duke of Orleans,
Mademoiselle de la Valliere was brought up in the Palais
Royal, and appointed maid of honour to Madame Hen-
rietta, duchess of Orleans, in 1661.

Her function in that office frequently brought her into
the society of the king. Simple and lively, she con-
ceived an attachment the consequences of which she did
not calculate, as she beheld in him a handsome and in-

QUEEN JMARIA THERESA. 155

teresting young man whom in his exalted position she
might freely admire. Her manners were modest and
even timid ; she spoke little, read much. Her face is so
well known, that a description of it is almost unnecessary ;
it has been described as that of the Christian Venus of
France. Her eyes, blue as the virgin martyr's, and
fringed with light silken lids, were seldom seen ; her
smile was gracious and closed ; although her mouth was
large, those who loved her admired it — but her rivals,
and Bussy, the echo of all jealousy, attribute it to the
irregularity of her teeth ; her form was slight, but ele-
gant and flexible ; and her countenance expressed all
that was amiable, notwithstanding her natural reserve :
but she was marked with the small pox. The defect in
her gait was scarcely perceptible ; a modern author, in
remarking this imperfection, likens her to " a beautiful
swan wounded." Madame de Sevignd calls Mademoiselle
de la Valliere '■^V humble violette, si touchante, si interes-
sante, si tendre, et si Jionteuse de Vetre."

It is so rare for a prince to be loved truly, and fo^*
himself alone, that Louis, who was sensible of her sincere
attachment, grew exceedingly fond of her, and made
known his passion to her at the chateau of Saint Ger-
main in 1661. For some time Louisa remonstrated with
him, and struggled with her OAvn heart. She refused at
first to receive him, and, in order to visit her, he was

156 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

obliged to climb to the roof of the house clandestinely,
and enter the window of Mademoiselle d' Artigny's apart-
ment, which adjoined hers; but the lady who superin-
tended the charge of the maids of honour discovered this
stratagem, and had bars placed at the windows of all
their apartments.

It was at this period that Fouquet, the superintendent of
finances, presuming to become the rival of his royal master,
made professions to Mademoiselle de la Valliere, and
offered to settle two hundred thousand livres on her, which
she refused with disdain. Louis was made acquainted
with his pretensions at a fete which the superintendent
gave to him at his chiiteau at Vaux, and which was so
" outrageusement superhe," that the king could not dis-
semble his surpi'ise and discontent at the immoderate
luxury which was displayed. Historical memoirs aflford a
description of the dress Mademoiselle de la Valliere wore
on that day. Her robe of white tissue was embroidered
with gold stars and leaves, the boddice pointed and laced
with fine golden cord ; her ceinture was of palest blue,
fastened in front with a large knot. Her fair hair, which
waved in loose cuids upon her delicate shoulders, was in-
termixed with pearls and flowers without confusion ; two
large emeralds glittered at her ears ; her fragile arms
were bare, and encirced below the elbow with bracelets
of golden fret-work ; and her gloves, of white Brussels

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 157

lace, were of such delicate fabric, that her hands wore
the colour of the blush-rose beneath their transparency.

It is said that, on being informed of Fouquet's admi-
ration for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, and also on see-
ing a portrait of that lady in his sleeping apartment at
Vaux, the king became so exasperated that he would
have arrested the superintendent in his own palace, in
the midst of his magnificent entertainment, if the queen-
mother had not dissuaded him. His scandalous luxury,
extravagance, and waste of the money belonging to the
revenue, were the pretext for his disgrace, but there is
little doubt that his presumption with regard to the royal
favourite was the principal cause.

Knowing that Maria Theresa especially favoured all
those who understood the Spanish language, Louisa dc
la Valliere diligently studied it, and was admitted into
her circle before she had been queen of France twelve
months. These occasions of meeting her royal lover
rendered her situation more difficult, and hastened her
defeat. Some jealous persons, amongst whom was the
Countess de Soissons, informed the good queen of her
husband's attachment, and Maria Theresa complained to
the king, who imposed silence on her. Obliged patiently
to submit to her griefs, the unhappy queen opened her
heart to her beloved friend Anne of Austria, who never
ceased to reproach her son for his neglect of his amiable

VOL. n. — I-!

158 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

young wife. She also granted her request, which arose
from legitimate sorrow, to refuse any future intimacy
Avith Mademoiselle de la Valliere.

The king, who was wearied with this surveillance, took
great pleasure in conducting his beloved mistress, far
from etiquette and jealousy, to Versailles, which was then
an inelegant little chateau in the middle of a wood, with
nothing in the neighbourhood but a small tavern and a
mill. He afterwards ornamented and magnificently fur-
nished her a residence (the Hotel Biron at Paris), and in
1662 gave most brilliant carousals in her honour in the
place which still bears that name. His crown was orna-
mented with a half-blown rown rose, the emblem of his
modest favourite, and his devise was, " Quanta si mostra
men, tanto e iriii bella."

Unaspiring in the midst of all her grandeur, which
sometimes seemed to overpower her, she interfered in no
state affairs, and was a stranger to political intrigue.
She concealed the result of her criminality with the
most scrupulous care, so that the court was almost igno-
rant of the birth of Marie- Anne de Bourbon (Mademoi-
selle de Blois) and the count de Vermandois. Mademoi-
selle de Valliere had also two other children, who died
young.

Notwithstanding all the king's tenderness for her, she
was not happy ; she loved him devotedly, but she wept

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 159

for her fault ; moreover, she was sincerely grieved at
the thought of the queen's domestic sorrows, for which
she blamed herself, and she hesitated between her love
and her dut j ; at length, after a painful struggle with
her heart, she retired to the convent of the Benedictines
of Saint Cloud.

At the time Louis was informed of her flight he was
engaged with a council of his ministers ; he however
quitted them abruptly, and, after having assisted in sad-
dling a horse, repaired to Saint Cloud with the rapidity
of lightning, penetrated into the sacred asylum, and, in
opposition to the tears and resistance of his mistress,
carried her away from amongst the stupificd nuns. He
was ready, according to the duke of Saint Simon, to
set fire to the convent if they had refused to give him
admittance.

This affair gave Mademoiselle de la Valliere the
character of a declared mistress, although she never
made use of her influence as such. But the monarch,
having heard that she had a brother who was an oflicer
in one of his regiments of infantry, loaded him with
favours. This young man was father to the first duke
de la Valliere.

In 1666 Mademoiselle de la Valiere was dangerously
ill when giving birth to Marie- Anne de Bourbon, Made-
moiselle de Blois, at Vincennes, which caused the king

160 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

SO much anxietj, that he was seriously indisposed in
consequence ; on his recovery he bestowed on her
the title of duchess, desired that she should be called
Madame, and presented her with the territories of
Vanjour. The letters patent which confer these favours
contain the following preamble : " Louis, par la grace

de Dieu, Roi de France et de Navarre &c. :

les bienfaits que les rois exercent dans leurs dtats etant
la marque ext^rieure du m^rite de ceux qui les resolvent,
et le plus glorieux ^loge des sujets qui en sont honores,
nous avons cru ne pouvoir mieux exprimer dans le public
I'estime toute particuliere que nous faisons de la personne
de notre tres-chere, bien-aimde, et tres-feale, Louise-
Frangoise de la Valliere, qu'en lui conf^rant les plus
hauts titres d'honneur qu'une affection tres-singuliere,
excit^e dans notrc coeur par une infinite de rares per-
fections, nous a inspires depuis quelques ann^es en sa
faveur ; et quoique sa modestie se soit souvent oppos^e
au desir que nous avions de I'elever plus tot dans un
rang proportionne a notre estime et a ses bonnes qualit^s,
ndanmoins, 1' affection que nous avons pour elle, et la
justice ne nous permettent plus de d^ferer les t^moi-

gnages de notre reconnaissance a ces causes .

. . :"&c.

By the same letters Mademoiselle de Blois was
pronounced legitimate, and this distinction was also

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 161

accorded to Mademoiselle de la Valliere's second
child, Louis de Bourbon, count of Yermandois. Slie
accepted the rank and title of duchess, solely in
obedience to her lover, and out of tenderness for her
children, who were educated under her own super-
intendence.

The birth of two other children, who died in their
infancy, made cruel ravages on her personal appearance ;
the carnation disappeared from her cheeks, she gi-ew
excessively thin, and became but the shadow of her
former self. The king perceived the change, which
some, who were ambitious of supplanting her, did not
fail to comment upon in his presence ; but habit, and a
delicate sentiment of affection and esteem which he
always retained for her, sustained his love for some time.
While she still believed herself the object of tenderness
to her lover, a rival was secretly robbing her of his
heart, the sole good that she estimated. This rival was
Fran^oise Athenais de Rochechourant de Mortemar,
daughter of the duke of that name, and governor of
Paris ; she was born in 1641, and the descendant of a
family equally celebrated for their noble and ancient
rank as for their wit and intellectual acquirements,
which were so remarkable, that " V esprit d'un Mortemar"
vr.xii a common expression at court. The accuracy of
her ideas, her ingenuity at repartee, and the eloquent
14*

162 QUEEN JIARIA THERESA.

facility with which she conversed, rendered her a most
agreeable companion.

In 1663 she was married to Henri-Louis de Par-
daillon de Goudrin, Marquis of Montespan, and appeared
at court in all the attraction of youth and beauty, joined
to great love of coquetry. Her features Avere regular,
her form and deportment majestic, her manners elegant,
and these charms were heightened by an intellectual and
brilliant flow of wit, that Louis could not fail to be daz-
zled with. She was also so skilful as to give the queen
a high opinion of her virtue, by a strict attendance to
her religious duties, so that she easily blinded that good
but too credulous princess. Moreover, she had the heart
to insinuate herself into the good gi-aces of the duchess
de la Valliere, who, incapable of deceit or intrigue, was
also unsuspicious of it, and who, thinking that her
agreeable conversation gratified the king, took pleasure
in inviting her to her suppers, and even in adorning her
herself in every way that could render her more
attractive.

By her constant association with the duchess, the
ambitious marchioness became acquainted with the king's
character, inclinations, and tastes, and profited by this
advantage with profound art. The blindness of Louis
XIV.'s mistresses is somewhat remarkable, each hanng
introduced the one who supplanted her. The duchess de

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 163

la Yallierc soon perceived that the friend she had so
unsuspectingly brought into the society of her royal lover
had become her rival, and that Louis could not repress
his admiration for her. To gratify him, as the last effort
of an ill-recompensed constancy, she redoubled her atten-
tions to Madame de Montcspan, and learned too late the
king's predilection for her ; from that moment the duch-
ess de la Valliere resolved on the sacrifice of her liberty.
In vain Louis's favourites and friends, the duke de Lauzan
and the duke de Longueville, taking advantage of the
king's neglect of her, made her offers of marriage ; she
rejected both, for she still loved the king with that sin-
cere and ardent affection which she so soon after vowed
to Heaven ; moreover, Louis would not in all probability
have permitted her to marry, for the duke of Saint Simon
suspects him of entertaining this selfish and proud idea :
" Qu'apres avoir ^t6 a lui, il ne devait souffrir qu'elle fut
etre a personne qu'a Dieu;" and, says the same author,
although he hesitated to pronounce the sacrifice, he saw
the victim relinquish all and devote herself to a living
tomb with satisfaction and even pleasure.

The following lines are attributed to the duchess de
la Valliere by the duke de Saint Simon: —

" Tout se detruit, tout passe, et le coeur le plus tcnclrc
Nc peut d'un meme objet se contenter toujours;
Le passe n'a point vu 'reternelles amours,

164 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

Et les sitjcles futvirs n'en doivent point attendre.

La Constance a des lois qu'on ne veut point entendre ;

Des desseins d'un grand roi rien n'arrete le cours :

Ce qui plait aujourd'liui deplait en peu de jours ;

Son inegalite ne saurait se comprendre.

Tous ces ddfauts, grand roi, font tort a vos vertus ;

Vous m'aimiez autrefois, et vous ne m'aimez plus.

Ah ! que mes sentiments sont diffcrens des votres !

Amour, a qui je dois mon mal et mon bien.

Que ne lui donnez vous un coeur comme le mien ;

Ou que n'avez vous fait le mien comme les autres ?"

After shedding many tears, tho neglected favourite
resolved to retire to the convent of Saint Marie de
Chaillot. The king, who still entertained the greatest
esteem and friendship for her, sent Colbert and Lauzan
to bring her back to court, supposing that the former
might have some influence over her, as he had the charge
of her children, and the latter, because he was singu-
larly gifted with the talent of persuasion. After some
remonstrances they succeeded in persuading her to re-
turn ; but she remarked, with some bitterness, that
on a former occasion the king went to fetch her him-
self.

The duchess felt the weight of her chains, although
she could not hate them ; but she was miserable at court,
not only on account of her lover's infidelity, but also
because Madame de Montespan overwhelmed her witli

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 165

every species of insolence, and is even said to have dis-
posed the apartments of the chateau in such a manner
that the king, in going to visit her, was obliged to pass
through those of Madame de la Valliere. The love she
could not uproot from her heart enabled her to support
these griefs with patience ; but the avowal of her dissa-
tisfaction sometimes escaped her: — " Quand j'aurai de
la peine aux Carmelites," she one day remarked to a
friend, " je me souviendrai de ce que ces gens m'ont fait
souffrir."

Nothing could shake the resolution she had formed to
retire to a cloister, to which she was encouraged by the
counsels of the virtuous duke of Beauvilliere ; and in a
moment of generosity the king gave his permission, pro-
posing to her to choose an order of which she could be
the abbess, and enjoy all her dignities ; but she modestly
replied, that, having erred in her own conduct, she could
not think of dii'ecting that of others.

Before quitting the court, Madame de la Valliere was
desirous of obtaining pardon from the only person she
had ever injured ; bathed in tears of sincerest repentance,
she thrcAV herself at the feet of the virtuous sovereign
Maria Theresa, who, generously forgetting the past,
raised her modest rival, embraced her, and made vows
for the repose of her remaining days.

On the 19th of April, 1674, she took leave of all the

166 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

court at Madame de Montespan's, where she supped with
the king ; the day following she attended mass with him
in the queen's apartments, after which she repaired to
the convent of the Carmelites in the Rue Saint Jacques,
Faubourg Saint Germain.

In the following year, on her thirty-first birthday,
she took the vows under the name of her sister Louise
de la Misericorde, in presence of the queen and all the
court, upon which occasion Maria Theresa placed the
veil upon the head of the new nun. She lived in the
strictest exercises of religious devotion, gave all that
she possessed to the poor, and frequently subjected her-
self to the most painful and rigorous penances. She
wore iron bracelets and waistbands, and on more than
one occasion fell down in the chapel faint and stiff, with
cold, and long watching, and praying. Notwithstanding
all these austerities, she lived thirty-six years in this
seclusion, and died in the arms of her daughter, the
princess of Conti, in the year 1710, at the age of sixty-
five.

The duchess de la Valliere left one daughter, Marie-
Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois, who was
married to the prince de Conti ; and Louis de Bourbon,
count de Vermandois. After his mother's retirement,
this young man's education was left to the charge of
pt'rsons who were incapable of directing it, and he im-

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 167

bibed haughtj and licentious habits, so tliat the king
banished him his presence ; he, hoAvever, pardoned and
received him again, but the joung count met an early
death, having been carried off by an ague in 1683, at
the camp of Courtrai, during the siege. The king
charged Bossuet, who delivered the discourse on the oc-
casion of the duchess's profession, to prepare her for
the death of her son, " Alas ! my God," said the peni-
tent, prostrating herself before her crucifix, "must I
weep for his death, before I have sufBciently bewailed
his birth !"

After the retreat of the duchess de la Valliere, Louis
Xiy. gave way to his passion for Madame de Montespan,
who felt herself unequal to contend against the seduc-
tions that surrounded her, and accordingly wrote to her
husband to inform him of the king's sentiments for her,
and entreated him to remove her from the court to his
chateau at Guycnne ; he, however, did not heed her
request, not because he was indifferent to her, but, on
the contrary, because he was exceedingly attached, and
for that reason was deaf to the energetic warnings of
his wife, whom he imagined to be above all temptation.

A short time after, Louis gave a magnificent carousal
in her honour, when the marquis de Montespan, discover-
ing his error, proceeded to court, where he loaded the
marchioness with invectives, presented himself to the

16S QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

king in deep mourning, which was contrary to etiquette,
and made so much disturbance respecting his conjugal
disgrace, that he wa-s first sent to the Bastille, and after-
wards banished to Guyenne.

Madame de Montespan, who was publicly acknow-
ledged as the king's mistress, lived in a style of extrava-
gant pomp and magnificence, gave superb fetes, eclipsed
the queen by her luxury, and contracted enormous debts ;
in one night only she lost, in partnership with the king,
four hundred thousand pistoles, and, determining to play
until she had recovered it, continued to gamble until
sunrise. Her grandeur contrasted strangely with the
simplicity of her predecessor, and she declared that she
would restore the brilliancy and privileges which apper-
tained to the royal favourite, and which Madame de la
Valliere had suffered to fall into oblivion. She received
the ministers, and always appeared in public with the
pomp and suite of a sovereign. At the carousals which
the monarch gave in her honour, he wore her favourite
colours, and on his crown a star composed of large dia-
monds surrounded by a multitude of smaller ones, with
this device — "a la plus belle;" and in order to give her
the honours which belong exclusively to privileged ladies,
he named her, in 16G7, superintendent of the queen's
household. Maria Theresa, on being informed of this,
exclaimed, " Q>ciiQ fcmme me fcra mourir." The favour-

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 169

ite "was not less dreaded by the ministers and generals,
and the courtiers even avoided passing under her win-
dows, declaring that they would not ^'passer par les
arjnes."

Madame de Montespan gave birth to the duke de
Maine at the chateau of Saint Germain in 1670, and had
several other children. She confided them to the care
of Madame Scarron, a woman in every respect worthy
of the choice ; Madame de Montespan provided her with
a house in the Faubourg Saint-Germain, where she
brought them up with all the tenderness and affection
of a mother, and it was. supposed by the inhabitants in
the Faubourg that they were her own.

Her choice of such a governess proves the good judg-
ment of Madame de Montespan, who constantly obtained
favours and presents for her from the king with courageous
perseverance ; for, although Louis appreciated Madame
Scarron's merits, he could with difficulty support her
presence, having conceived an unconquerable dislike to
her.

Nevertheless she experienced many vexations on ac-
count of Madame Scarron, and eventually had cause to
reproach herself for not having dismissed her when the
king urged her to do so ; but, devoted to the interest of
her children, the marchioness continued her regard for
her, although she despised her haughty manners, and had

VOL. II, — 15

170 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

frequently angry discussions witli her ; but the mother's
love triumphed over the woman's griefs, and the govern-
ess was always loaded with kindness.

Madame de Montespan's prodigality deserves severe
censure ; not content with a pension of a thousand louis
a month, she contracted immense debts, which Louis was
obliged to pay. Her superstitious devotion is also equally
blameable ; she imagined that her irregularities could be
atoned for by expiatory practices; and never omitted the
abstinences prescribed by the church, but sometimes left
her royal lover's society to perform penance in her ora-
tory ; and thus intermingled religious practices with
worldly diversions.

Madame de Montespan judiciously abstained from in-
terfering in government affairs or political intrigues, and
the fifteen years that she was mistress of Louis XIV.
were the most brilliant and happy of his reign. But,
always faithful to religion, though forgetting its pre-
cepts, the monarch frequently displayed alternatives of
tenderness and repentance. Sometimes they mutually
agreed to lead a more regular life, and would separate
for a short space of time, after which remorse would be
succeeded by fresh indulgences, and the scandal would
recommence, so that the shame of so many relapses
obliged her to conceal the birth of her two last children

QUEEN MARLV THERESA. 171

fiom public knowledge, in order to avoid displeasing their
father.

The queen was for some time ignorant of the existence
of Louis's children bj Madame de Montespan, but, having
one day met two of them at Versailles, she caressed them
with tears, saying, " Madame de Richelieu me tran-
quillisait toujoui's sur ce qui se passait : voila reality !"

At length Louis XI Y., tired or discontented with
Madame de Montespan, renewed his attentions to his
virtuous wife, but it was only a dream of happiness for
Maria Theresa ; for Madame de Montespan, perceiving
the king's coldness, thought she would recover his aflfec-
tion by introducing to him a woman whom the Abbd
Choisi represents as a " femme sans consequence, belle
comme I'amour, mais sotte comme unpanier." This was
Marie Angelique de Scoraille de Roussille, of an ancient
family of Rouergue, where she was born in 1661. The
duchess of Arpajou, who was astonished at the extreme
beauty of this young lady, obtained her a situation as
maid of honour to Madame Ilcnriette. Although the
court was remarkable for the beauties of which it was at
that time composed, Mademoiselle de Roussille, who was
then only sixteen years of age, outshone them all ; she
was called the hrilliant Fontanges ; but her physical ad-
vantages were all she possessed ; mind and intelligence
were wantino;.

172 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

Louis, who had often heard Madame de Montespan
speak of " la belle idole de marhre de j^rovince," was at
length curious to see her, and the favourite presented the
young maid of honour in the becoming dress of the chase;
he was enraptured with her, and this rising star soon
eclipsed all others. Mademoiselle de Roussille on her
part was easily won. Educated in a provincial chateau,
and taught from her cradle that she was beautiful enough
to be loved by a king, she believed that her destiny was
accomplished. Young and thoughtless, she responded
to the king's passion with affection, and even in the
queen's presence. She rendered herself remarkable by
the splendour of her jewelry, as also by the extraordinary
style of her head-dress, which has preserved the name of
Fontanges, the only memorial she has left posterity of
her ephemeral reign. She broke through all rules of
etiquette without shame, and also without discernment
or discretion ; frequently entered Maria Theresa's apart-
ment, and addressed the king, without first speaking to
the queen ; and this freedom, improper as it was, pleased
Louis, who was tired of court constraint.

On her eighteenth birthday he presented her with a
superb house, and dignified her with the title of duchess
of Fontanges. This favour, the enormous sum she received
(three hundred thousand livres a month), the rich presents
Louis made her in jewels and equipages, and the nomina-

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 173

tion of her sister to the abbey of Chelles, added to her own
pride, created her numberless enemies at court. They
were scandalized by her prodigality ; her carriages were
always drawn by eight horses ; and it may truly be said
that she hastened to accomplish her short destiny.

Madame de Montespan, who was furious at the result
of her own imprudence in introducing her to the, king,
abandoned herself to the most violent transports of jea-
lousy. But she had an enemy far more formidable in
the person of Madame Scarron, to whom the king had
given the name and lands of Maintenon, and who was
secretly and incessantly Avorking upon his mind by her
superstitious insinuations ; so that her apparent wisdom
made a greater impression upon him than the brilliant
wit of Madame de Montespan, who sought a retreat to be
freed from domestic quarrels.

She repaired to the duchess de la Valliere at the con-
vent of the Carmelites, and through her example sub-
jected herself to various austerities. "Is it true," she
one day inquired of the duchess, " that you are as happy
as you appear to be ?" "I am not happy," replied the
pious Carmelite ; " but I am quite contented:" a reply
which marked the calm of a good conscience, even under
the weight of affliction. In this retreat she one day
saw the queen, who was in the habit of visiting the duch-
ess, upon which she threw herself at her feet and
15*

174 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

entreated her pardon. The kmd and indulgent sovereign
generously accorded it, but she had also the weakness to
invite her to return to court, and reinstated her in her
function of superintendent of her household. Madame
de Montespan accepted the offer, doubtless with the firm
resolution of living in an exemplary manner. Accord-
ingly she reappeared at court, and for a short time
maintained her resolution.

In the mean time the duchess of Fontanges triumphed ;
she was the superb amazon of the chase, the fairy of the
gardens of Versailles, and the brilliant sultana at court :
but her triumph was short. Madame de Maintcnon, who
by her studied appearance had obtained some influence
at court, endeavoured to convert her as well as Louis,
but her power of persuasion failed, for the young favour-
ite, who was wearied with so much useless eloquence, did
not deign to reply to her aged counsellor, but turned
her back and commenced singing. More serious Avarn-
ings were, however, reserved for her, for in 1680 she
gave birth to a son, who died on coming into the world,
and the effects of her accouchement, which had been most
dangerous, robbed her of the rare beauty she so dearly
prized.

The duchess of Fontano;es felt that in losins; her
personal attractions she had lost all, and Louis XIV. did
not fail to make her conscious of this sad truth. She

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 175

accordingly asked and obtained permission to retire to
the convent of Port Royal, where the king ordered the
duke de Feuillade to visit her frequently. From the
time of the birth of her child she gradually declined ;
her last moments were spent in tears of remorse for the
past, and when about to die she sent to entreat the king
to come and bid her a last adieu. He at first refused,
dreading the commiseration it would cause him ; but,
fearing to wound her, at length yielded to her request.
On seeing her, Louis could not restrain his tears ; he
found the woman who was lately so lovely and seducing,
a pale skeleton, with sunken eyes, and a countenance
scarcely recognisable ; she gazed on him with a species
of avidity, tenderly bade him farewell, and begged of
him to marry her sister, that she might avoid meeting
with a similar fate to her own. The king promised to
grant her request, at which the dying girl's countenance
coloured with the last rays of joy. She warmly thanked
him for visiting her, and said that such a mark of ten-
derness had softened her last moments ; then pressing
his hand, she expired at the age of twenty, in the year
1681. It has been said that before her death she
declared that she had been poisoned by Madame de
Montespan, but there is no foundation for the assertion.
She was buried at Port Royal, and her heart was
deposited in the abbey of Chellcs.

17G QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

Madame de Montespan, -who reappeared at court still
beautiful and weak, was induced bj Louis, who became
once more enamoured of her, to resume her former
mode of life, and forget her wise resolutions. But new
quarrels, caused by Madame de Maintenon, who secretly
triumphed, again divided the lovers, and after the death
of the duchess de Fontanges, Madame de Montespan
openly exhibited such indecent joy, that the king
expressed his discontent at her insensibility. Madame
de Maintenon's reserved manners appeared to him more
estimable than her impetuosity, and the beautiful, the
ironical, the intellectual, and superb marchioness de
Montespan felt too late that she must quit the Tuileries,
Versailles, Marley, and the brilliant fetes and carousals ;
she must bid adieu to grandeur and power in all its
forms, and experience all that was terrible in the triumph
of her enemies, all that was bitter in the indiflference of
her friends.

In 1G82 her son the duke of Maine was employed to
convey her the order for her dismissal from court, a cir-
cumstance which does not display much delicacy on the
part of Louis XIV., and which Madame de Montespan
felt keenly. Driven from the court, from the king's
heart, and perhaps from his memory, Madame de Mon-
tespan went where all the disgraced and faded mistresses
went, to a convent, which she had built, and wlicre she

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 177

retired with a withering sorrow at her heart. For many
years she vainly invoked the balm of religion, but dis-
appointment rankled in her mind ; she could not forget
or endure to forego her late brilliant position.

She visited several monasteries in France, but, not
being enabled to accustom herself to a conventual life,
resided for some time at her chateau of Petit-Bourg,
where she wandered like a desolate shadow beneath the
venerable trees in her park, or on the banks of the
Seine, murmuring her regrets at the infidelity of her
royal lover.

Generous in the midst of her misery, she at length
sought diversion in acts of charity ; for, although in the
year 1676 the marquis de Montespan had procured a
divorce, she had a large fortune of her own, independ-
ently of which the king gave her an annual pension of
eight thousand louis, and in 1700 presented her with
one hundred thousand francs to purchase the domains
of Oiron for her legitimate son the duke d'Antin ; so
that she had ample means of satisfying her benevolent
inclinations. But, weary and restless, she determined
on settling permanently, and accordingly retired to the
convent of Saint Joseph, Avhcre the excellent and pious
La Tour became the director of her conscience.

The king obtained her promise never to return to
court, or to seek to revenge herself upon the woman who

178 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

had made her descend from the throne ; he made her
write to her husband, to ask his forgiveness and permis-
sion to return to him, entreating him with the greatest
humility and contrition to receive her ; but Monsieur de
Montespan desired her never more to address him, and
wouhl never hear her name mentioned. She employed
all she possessed in solacing and relieving the poor, for
whom she made clothes of coarse materials, and was
constantly engaged in some employment of a charitable
nature, leaving it only to attend her devotions, or to
sustain herself with an austerely frugal meal. She
changed her costly robes for those of the coarsest stuff,
and subjected herself to severe privations, always wear-
ing a ceinture lined with iron points which pierced her
at each movement. She even subdued her tongue, or
rather her spirit, that flexible, vivacious, and ironical
dart, which, she had launched against so many reputa-
tions at court, killing many and wounding more ; so that
the sarcastic, scornful empress became the simple and
indulgent woman, void of either wit or malice.

One species of pride, however, she never relinquished,
notwithstanding her austerities ; she would not renounce
the ceremonies in practice at court. There was but one
fautcuil in her room, and that she occupied ; when the
princes her sons, her daughter the duchess of Orleans,
or any of the blood royal visited her, she received them

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 179

"O'ithout rising, and tliey were seated on chairs. Manj
of the court visited her, but she never returned any visits.

Notwithstanding her mortifications and change of life
and habits, Madame do Montespan remained beautiful
until her last hour, but her health gradually declined.
Two months of each year she spent at Bourbon-Archam-
bault for the benefit of the waters, and it was in that
town that she was attacked with the malady which
deprived of her existence in a few hours : her immediate
death was caused by the extreme ignorance of her medical
attendants, who injudiciously administered emetics to her ;
a remedy wliich was much in vogue in the seventeenth
century. She availed herself of some moments of ease
to make a public confession of her errors, and declare
her sorrow for the bad example she had given and the
scandal she had occasioned ; and in this humble and
repentant disposition she breathed her last, in the year
1707, at the age of sixty-six.

Her legitimate son the duke d'Antin went to Bourbon-
Archambault, and, after looking coldly on her, ordered
her to be embalmed ; but she was left so long unburied,
that the public dignitaries at length caused the body to
be transported to Poitiers, and deposited in her own
family vault. She left directions for her heart to be
conveyed to the convent of Saint Joseph, but there was
so much delay, owing to the negligence of the cmbalmers,

180 QUEEN MARIA THERESA.

that lier Avislies could not bo complied -with. Saint
Edme asserts that the pere guardien of the convent of
the Capucins de Bourbon threw it away.

Louis XIV. displayed no emotion on being informed
of the death of the once-adored Marchioness de Montes-
pan. She had seven children by him : Louis- Augusto de
Bourbon, duke de Maine, who was declared by his father
capable of succeeding to the throne ; Cesar-Louis, count
de Vixin, abbe of Saint-Denis and Saint-Germain ; Louise
Frangoise, Mademoiselle de Nantes, who married Louis
III., duke of Bourbon, grandson of the great Condd ;
Louise-Marie-Antoinette, Mademoiselle de Tours ; Fran-
goise-Marie, Mademoiselle de Blois, who married the
duke of Orleans, regent of France ; Louis-Alexandre,
count of Toulouse ; and one other son, who died young :
all of whom were pronounced legitimate in 1673. Ma-
dame de Montespan had one son only by her husband;
he Avas the duke d'Antin.

After the dismissal of Madame de Montespan, Maria
Theresa was once more solaced with the affection of her
husband, through the persuasions of Madame de Main-
tenon ; and the broken-hearted queen openly testified
her satisfaction and friendship for that artful woman.
Her domestic griefs had, however, made severe inroads
upon her constitution ; and this model of virtue and
patience expired in 1683, at the chateau de Chombord,

QUEEN MARIA THERESA. 181

aged forty-five years. In her last moments the king
approached her bed and addressed her in Spanish ; his
consoling language appeared to reanimate her for a mo-
ment, and her appearance testified that she died more
content.

After her death Louis XIV. declared publicly that the
queen had never caused him any grief but by her death ;
he sincerely lamented the virtuous wife whose premature
loss he had occasioned ; and so great was his veneration
for her memory, that on the anniversary of her death he
never partook of any recreation, but confined himself
the whole day to his apartment. Nevertheless, this
monarch, who so cruelly neglected that truly royal and
amiable princess, who was the ornament of her sex, re-
served all his love and tenderness for an intriguing par-
venue, whom he afterwards made his lawful wife.

Maria Theresa had three sons and as many daughters
— the dauphin Louis, and two sons, who were succes-
sively dukes of Anjou ; her daughters all died young :
the grief which destroyed her health extended its influ-
ence over the physical strength of her children, not one
of whom lived to succeed his father. She was buried in
the royal tomb of Saint Denis.

VOL. II. — 16

182 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

MADAME DE MAINTENON.

Fkances d'Aubignje was the only daughter of Con-
stant d'Aubign^, and Jane de Cardillac, who was de-
scended from a noble family in Guyenne ; she was born
in the year 1635, in the prison of Niort, where her father,
who was greatly addicted to extravagance, was detained
for debt. His wife having chosen to accompany him
there, her sister Madame de Yilette conveyed the newly-
born infant from the prison to the chateau de Murcay,
and had her nursed with her own daughter.

In 1639 her father was removed from Niort to the
chateau Trompette at Bordeaux, and obtained his liberty
upon condition that he would renounce the Protestant
religion, which all his family professed, and embrace the
Catholic faith ; but to elude his promise he determined
to proceed to Martinique, and embarked for that island
with his wife and daughter. Their voyage was attended
with accidents, for on one occasion the vessel narrowly
escaped being captured by an Algerine corsair ; and the
little Frances was attacked with so serious an illness,
that all signs of life disappeared, and preparations
were made for placing her in the sepulchre which usually
awaits those who die at sea, when her mother, who could
not abandon hope, discovered some sign of life in the

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 183

inanimate form of her child, and by unceasing efforts she
■was recovered from an obstinate and profound lethargy.

Her father entered into a mercantile house, and by
great exertions amassed a considerable sum of money, so
that Mademoiselle d'Aubignd received in that colony a
brilliant education, which was afterwards the source of
all her prosperity. But fortune was as fickle in her treat-
ment of Monsieur d'Aubigne in Martinique as she had
been to him in his native land ; in 1643 he sent his daugh-
ter back to France, and died in extreme indigence in
1646.

Mademoiselle d'Aubigne was warmly welcomed by her
generous benefactress Madame de Vilette, with whom
she might have lived happily ; but by the order of the
ecclesiastical court she was removed from the care of this
Protestant friend, and confided to that of another rela-
tion, Madame de Neuillant, a zealous Catholic of Poitou,
who employed every efibrt to convert her young charge.
Her endeavours were, however, vain ; and Mademoiselle
d'Aubigne, who persisted in her religious principles, was
condemned by Madame de Neuillant to overlook and
assist in the lower work of the servants and to take
charge of the farm-yard.

A young peasant, who, like herself, was employed to
guard the sheep and cows while grazing, and who by
daily meeting her had become a familiar acquaintance,

184 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

fell in love with her, and Madame de Neuillant, who
discovered his inclination, immediately sent her to the
convent of the Ursulines de Niort. She was, however,
expelled shortly after, the nuns refusing to retain so re-
bellious a pupil, who endeavoured to convert the whole
monastery to Protestantism, as well as the priest who
was engaged to instruct her ; and incessantly opposed
his doctrine by arguments drawn from scriptural texts.

Madame de Neuillant therefore conducted Mademoi-
selle d'Aubigne to Paris in 1648, and obliged her to
travel on the mule which conveyed her bedding. In
Paris she was sent to an Ursuline convent, and while
there she had the misfortune to lose all she held dear on
earth, — her mother and her aunt. Finding herself with-
out friends, or any support in the world, and wearied
with continual solicitations, she at length abjured the
religion of her fathers, and embraced the Catholic faith
in the convent of the Ursulines de Paris, in the year
1649.

From that time Madame de Neuillant treated her more
kindly, and introduced her to society, in which she shone
by her intellectual talent ; but her guardian was too
avaricious to pay any attention to her personal appear-
ance or dress, and this negligence often caused her to
shed tears of mortification. Notwithstanding this dis-
advantage, Mademoiselle d'Aubign^ was an object of

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 185

admiration to the chevalier cle Meri, the marquis de Vil-
larceaux (Ninon de I'Enclos' lover), and Paul Scarron,
the wit of the day. The latter, indignant at the unjust
treatment she received from Madame de Neuillant,
offered to release her from her odious care, either by
paying her expenses at the convent or by marrying her.

Mademoiselle d'Aubign^ was then only sixteen years
of age, and Scarron, so celebrated for his burlesque
writings, was aged, deformed, overwhelmed with infirmi-
ties, gouty, and nailed to his elbow-chair, but always
cheerful and gay, notwithstanding his sufferings. She
was tired of the cloister and accepted him for her hus-
band with gratitude, but his poverty was such that
Mademoiselle de Pons lent her a dress for appearing in
at the ceremony of her marriage.

Scarron occupied two small chambers in the Rue de
la Tissanderie ; all the fortune he possessed consisted in
the produce of his works, and an annual pension of
fifteen hundred francs, in quality of a malade de la Jieine-
mere. But the poet's narrow fortune did not prevent
the most clever and intellectual persons at court from
frequenting his modest apartments, whither they were
attracted by his sparkling wit and enlivening con-
versation.

In this brilliant society the young wife, who was called
la belle Indienne, formed an acquaintance with the be-
10 *

186 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

witching Ninon de I'Enclos, who was so celebrated for her
beauty, grace, wit, and elegant manners. They were in
the habit of assembling to sup at Scarron's, where their
evenings were divided between gay songs, bon-mots, and
the charms of agreeable conversation, in which Madame
Scarron possessed eloquent facility. It is said that on
one occasion, when thus engaged in an interesting dis-
course, the servant went near her and whispered to her,
" Madame, encore une histoire ; le rot manque au-
jourd'hui."

Madame Scarron's solicitude for her aged and infirm
husband gained her as much esteem as her beauty obtained
her admirers. She rarely quitted le pauvre paralytiquey
as she was in the habit of calling him. When he was
ill, she was his nurse and servant ; Avhen re-established,
his companion, secretary, and reader. When not en-
gaged in receiving company, she occupied herself in the
compilation of her husband's works, and studied
Spanish, Italian, and Latin, all of which she was well
versed in.

In the year 1660, after a union of ten years, she
became a widow, and sincerely lamented her protector,
who left her at the age of twenty-six in a state of extreme
indigence, with nothing but the recollection of his
talents and his debts, and in the possession of great
beauty.

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 187

She v^as of middle height and an elegant figure, with
clear chestnut-coloured hair and brilliant black eyes :
these charms "were heightened by reserved and modest
manners. Such were her moral as well as personal
advantages, that Queen Christina of Sweden, who dis-
liked her own sex generally, felicitated Scarron on the
possession of such a wife.

Her beauty and indigence caused her many tempta-
tions. Foquuet, the superintendent of finances, sent her
a superb casket containing money and very valuable
jewels ; but the beautiful widow indignantly repulsed
the emissary and the present ; the marquis de Crequi
met with the same reception ; and the queen-mother,
appreciating her disinterestedness, restored her her late
husband's pension.

She was in this position when Ninon I'Enclos offered
her her house and table, but Madame Scarron afterwards
proved herself ungrateful by forgetting her friendship, as
she did the goodness of Louis XIV. in later years. It
is said also that Madame Scarron owed a part of the
means which enabled her to appear in society, and the
reparation of her fortune, to the favours she accorded
to the duke of Villars, and marshal Harcourt's father,
who introduced her to the hotel Richelieu, where she
was received as lady's companion. Amongst other
duties, her business was to see that the fires were reple-

189 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

nished, the dinner-tables properly arranged and served,
and to order the carriages : these fastidious charges
were a short time afterwards dispensed with by the intro-
duction of bells.

She has been accused of having encouraged the atten-
tions of Ninon's lover, the marquis of Villarceaux, not-
withstanding the proofs of friendship which she obtained
from her ; and in one of her letters Ninon remarks,
"Leur avoir pret^ sa chambre jaune."

For some time Madame Scarron chose a retreat in the
Hospitaliers of the Place Royal, where she lived content
with little ; but in 1666, the death of Anne of Austria
replunged her into absolute indigence, and a cotemporary
author affirms that her name was inscribed on the chari-
table list in the parish of Saint Eustache. The marshal
d'Albret then offered her his hotel, and the widow
accepted that asylum, but formed a resolution never to
receive that gentleman's visits but in his wife's presence.
The duke de Saint Simon asserts that Monsieur de Vil-
larceaux, for whom she had a decided preference, main-
tained her for some time during her distress, and lived
with her on a small estate near Paris. Her beauty and
talent were the subject of so much remark that Madame
de Montespan procured a new pension for Madame Scar-
ron, whom she remembered having seen in society, and
whose merit she duly appreciated. This act of kindness

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 189

enabled her to become the tenant of a convent, "where
she retired with a waiting-maid named Nanon Balbieu,
who some time after governed France, because she
governed her mistress, who governed the king. This
old servant lived to see the ministers of the country bow
to her antiquated caps, and received the kisses of the
king's daughters upon her cheeks. Had it not been for
the assistance she received from the royal bounty through
Madame de Montespan's interference, Madame Scarron
would have accompanied the suite of Mademoiselle de
Nemours to Portugal, whither she went to be united to
Alphonso VI.

On this occasion, when requesting an audience with
the Marchioness de Montespan, she artfully remarked to
Madame de Thianges, that before leaving the country
she hoped at least to see the ivonder of all France,
which flattery was, as she wished, conveyed to her.
That lady had the greater merit for the benefits and
favours she procured for the widow Scarron, because
when soliciting them the king always listened to her
unwillingly.

"Am I continually to hear that woman spoken of?"
he one day said impatiently.

"Yes, sire," replied the favourite with courage; "I
will importune you until you have snatched from misery
a woman whose ancestors perished in the service of your
own."

190 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

Madame Scarron's fortune may be dated from the
day she obtained an interview with the Marchioness de
Montespan to thank her for her goodness, for from that
time the favourite resolved on placing her two children
under her care. Death soon robbed her of the eldest,
and all Madame Scarron's care and attention were cen-
tred in the second, who was the duke du Maine. Her
solicitude for her young charge necessarily procured her
the friendship of his mother, who took great pleasure in
the widow's society, and spent much time with her, so
that Louis displayed great jealousy at this preference,
and entertained so great an aversion for Madame Scar-
ron, and what he termed \iqv pruderie, that he requested
the Marchioness to reply to her only by monosyllables
when he was present.

The friendship which existed between the favourite
and the governess did not, however, last long ; they had
frequent quarrels respecting the mode of education ;
but Madame de Montespan was so conscious of Madame
Scarron's merits that she overlooked and forgave much
of her imperiousness, and constantly loaded her with
presents ; while, on her part, the governess was, or
affected to be, so devoted to the king's children, that he
could not help acknowledging her value, and, in order
to recompense her for her anxious solicitude for the
improvement of the delicate health of the duke da

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 191

Maine, in tlie year 1674 made lier a present of one
hundred thousand francs, with "which she purchased the
estate of Maintenon, near Versailles, of which she was
so fond, that the king called her Madame de Maintenon
from that period ; fourteen years after it became a
marquisate.

This voluntary present on the part of Louis XIV.
gave great offence to Madame de Montespan, who made
some sarcastic remarks on the occasion, upon which the
governess, who had acted so skilfully as to impress the
king with an idea that her presence was actually neces-
sary to the welfare of his children, alarmed the favourite
by threatening to resign her charge, and artfully hinted
her intention of doing so to Louis XIV., who entreated
her to remain with them, which she consented to do upon
condition that henceforward she should render an ac-
count of their health and progress to himself only.

This was the first affront offered to Madame de Mon-
tespan. She was the mother of seven children by Louis
XIV., and each year added to the cares and anxieties
of their governess, Avho devoted herself entirely to their
education, living in great retirement in the Rue Vaugi-
rard in Paris, until the king caused them to be pro-
nounced legitimate, and called her to court. A short
time before her appearance there, having judged that
a journey to some watering-place would be of service

192 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

to the health of her eldest pupil, the duke du Maine,
who was exceedingly weak and delicate, Madame de
Maintenon conducted the children to Barrages. The
change proved of very great benefit to her young charge,
and on returning from her visit to that place she one
day agreeably surprised the king by entering his cabinet
with the young duke, whom she presented to him re-
stored to health and no longer lame.

The monarch was both astonished and delighted at
his son's restoration, and from that time his aversion for
Madame de Maintenon changed into contrary sentiments.
Her office as governess insensibly led her frequently to
his cabinet, and drew on long conversations ; politically
skilful, she discovered that Louis XIV. was inclined
towards a superstitious devotion, and artfully made use
of her discovery as a means by which she could walk on
securely towards the realization of her ambitious dreams.
The king frequently met her in the apartment of
Madame de Montespan, and could not fail to notice the
altercations which occurred between his favourite and
the governess, who on one occasion requested his permis-
sion to leave the court, being, as she said, profoundly
afflicted and seriously uneasy, from religious scruples,
that his majesty had forgotten the promise he had given
the Abbd Bossuct to renounce Madame de Montespan.
This hypocritical and ungrateful request was not made

MxiDAME DE MAINTENON. 193

uni^ Madame de Maintenon liad worked upon the king's
mind in such a manner as to feel sure that he would not
suffei her to leave the court. She became not only an
object df raillery to most of the courtiers, but also of
just reavntment to the still powerful marchioness ; never-
theless she sacrificed her repose to her ambition ; yet,
when almost seated on the throne, she remarked in a
letter to a friend, Ninon de I'Enclos, that she envied her
peaceable mdependence.

In 1679 the king gave her apartments in the palace,
in order that he might enjoy the charms of her conver-
sation without constraint. Although no longer young,
she was still beautiful, her eyes were brilliant and ex-
pressive, and her figure and manners elegant. From
the time she became a resident at court, she ceased
visiting Madame de Montespan, and actively commenced
undermining her in the favour of the king, until the
marchioness perceived too late that she had introduced
to her royal lover the woman who would supplant her.

Madame de Maintenon first made use of her infiucnce
towards raising her own family. Her brother, Charles
d'Aubign^, an undeserving and worthless spendthrift,
was loaded with wealth ; his sister sold places and favours
to satisfy the prodigalities of this parvcnue. All Franco
murmured, and Louvois himself complained to Louis of
such abuses ; but the blinded king defended the actions

VOL. II, — 17

194 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

of his new favourite, who triumphed over her enemies,
France itself, and even justice and reason.

Shortly after her installation at the palace, she per-
suaded the king to dismiss Madame de Montespan, and
even caused her dismissal to be conveyed to her by her
son the duke du Maine. By this means she insensibly
drew him closer to herself, using the two powerful argu-
ments of religion and his duty to the unhappy and de-
clining queen, who was the victim and witness of so
many acts of weakness. Maria Theresa herself, who
had been so often deceived by appearances and insulted
by her rivals, perceived in Madame de Maintenon nothing
more than a sincere friend who was desirous of strength-
ening the conjugal bond ; and, grateful to her for having
always respected and treated her as a wife and queen,
is said when dying to have placed her royal ring upon
the favourite's finger

The duchess de Fontanges had, according to Malherbe's
expression, lived but a morning ; Madame de Montespan
was exiled and forgotten, and the queen had descended
into the tomb, so that Madame de Maintenon's path was
now uninterrupted. To so high a degree of favour was
she elevated, and such was her pride and ambition, that
in 1684 she refused to accept the situation of dame
dlionneur to the dauphine. There was but one place
at which she aimed, or which she considered worthy of

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 195

her acceptance — that of the deceased queen ! Louis
XIV., having no longer a wife, redoubled his attentions
to his friend ; he even assisted her at table, spent seve-
ral days with her in retirement at Maintenon, and was
in the habit of walking; beside her sedan-chair with his
head uncovered. The court railed and the public libelled
them in vain ; the king's Jesuit confessor, La Chaise,
and Madame de Maintenon, overruled all obstacles, and
the intriguers obtained the fruits of their audacity and
perseverance.

The eighteenth century offers two examples of women
who experienced prodigious elevations : Louis XIV. re-
nounced his pride of rank and aristocratic privileges in
favour of Madame de Maintenon ; and Peter the Great,
with noble determination, recompensed the admirable
courage of Catherine, by shai'ing with her the imperial
throne. But Madame de Maintenon obtined her ele-
vation from a promise of marriage, extorted by degrees,
and through bad counsels, from an enfeebled monarch ;
while Catherine, a poor but heroic girl, won her crown
on the banks of the Pruth. Her marriage was no inno-
vation of the customs in Russia, because it was usual
for the nobles to choose their wives from among the most
beautiful women in the empire, without regard to birth ;
whereas, since the second race of kings in France, the
political interest of the nation has been always consulted

196 MADAIME DE MAINTENON.

in the alliance of the sovereigns, who are expected to
sacrifice their affections for the honour of governing their
country.

Madame de Maintenon's marriage was an ohscure act :
the ceremony was performed in secret ; and Louis XIV.
(tared not avow or proclaim it ; whereas it was on the day
which was appointed for solemnly recompensing the brave
who had assisted in obtaining the victory that Peter the
Great presented his wife to the nation, proudly declaring,
" Catherine Alexiewna has saved the country ; I, Czar
of Moscow, make her Empress of Russia !" Such was
never Madame de Maintenon's political position in
France ; on the contrary, to her interference in state
matters have been attributed the misfortunes which
clouded the latter days of Louis XIY.'s reign.

The day on which the marriage of the king and Ma-
dame de Maintenon took place is uncertain, but it was
in the year 1684. The nuptial benediction was pro-
nounced at night, in a cabinet at Versailles, by Monsieur
Ilarly, archbishop of Paris, in the presence of the Abbe
Gabelin, the Pere La Chaise, the Chevalier Forbin and
the Marquises Montchevreuil and Bontems, who was the
king's first valet de chambre, and served the mass on the
occasion.

Although this union was not made public, it caused
Madame de Maintenon to be surrounded Avith the homage

MADAMC DE ^SIAINTENON. 197

of the court and foreign ambassadors ; and if she was
prohibited from assuming the title, she did not fail to
affect the prerogatives, of a queen. Accordingly, when she
"went to visit the monastery of the Carmelites at Paris,
the abbess respectfully observed that, according to the
privileges of the establishment, the gates could be opened
to the queen only. " Ouvrez toujours, ma mere," she
replied. On another occasion, the duchess of Burgundy
having been suddenly indisposed when visiting her, she
would not suffer that princess to be placed on her bed,
but hastily arranged some pillows on the sofa for her ;
as, by the etiquette of the court, all but the king are
rigorously prohibited from reposing on the queen's bed.

With the exception of the amiable and lively duchess
of Burgundy, who always called Madame de Maintenon
ma tante, the royal family entertained great dislike for
their new relative, and could with difficulty support the
idea of her marriage, while the nation considered it both
ridiculous and burdensome.

During the manoeuvres of the camp at Corapiegnc in
1696, the army beheld the children and grandchildren
of France obliged to stand in the presence of this par-
venue, or to sit on the poles of her sedan-chair, the glasses
of which she always kept closed, to preserve her com-
plexion from any injury which it might sustain from con-
tact with the air. Several of the royal princes wero so
17*

198 mada:\ie de maintenon.

much mortified that thej suffered expressions of dis-
content to escape them, for which they incurred the
king's displeasure, and consequently were disgraced.
Louis's sister-in-law, Henrietta of England, remarks in
her Memoirs, " qu'elle consolait toujours la dauphine,
quand cette vieille la mettait au d^sespoir ;" and upon
some slight breach of respect on the part of the princess
de Conti, the king launched so angry a look at her, that
she fainted away, and was dangerously ill afterwards.

Madame de Maintenon never visited the king's daugh-
ters, but sometimes sent for them, " pour leur laver la
tete comme une bonne maratre, et elles en sortaient
toutes en pleurs." All trembled before her power. In
1669, Racine the tragedian, having without thought
spoken of the benefactor and husband of her early days,
Scarron, in her presence, became suddenly aware of his
imprudence, and was so confused and agitated on the oc-
casion, that he died from the consequences of his emo-
tion. Although her marriage was strictly secret, she was
nevertheless careful to make even the peasantry ac-
quainted with it, and had the gratification of being called
your Majesty by that class of people at Versailles and
Maintenon. Madame d'Houdicourt, in speaking to her
of the royal hunt one day, said, " Nos maris reviendront
tard."

Louis XIV. solemnly promised his m.inister Louvois

MADAME DE MAIXTENON. 199

that he "would never dechire his marriage TN'ith Madame
de Maintenon ; nevertheless, in IGSo, yielding to his
"syife's ambitious entreaties, he was about to proclaim her
queen, when Louvois threw himself at the monarch's feet
in presence of several noblemen of the court, and, pre-
senting him his sword, entreated him to kill him, if he
intended violating his oath. The king hesitated, but
Louvois embraced his knees, and refused to rise until he
declared that he would keep his promise. The archbishop
of Paris also reminded him of his oath, which the king
renewed to him also. It was not however, long before
these two men, who had the courage to perform their duty
to their sovereign and country, were disgraced ; Madame
de Maintenon was disappointed, but she was also revenged.
The king always received the ministers for the discus-
sion of state affairs, in which she participated, in her
apartments ; on some occasions her advice was good, but
on most it was interested ; and several important appoint-
ments were bestowed on her creatures or friends, whether
they were capable of undertaking them or otherwise.
She nominated her favourite Chamillart minister of the
army and navy, and disgraced Catinat to make room fur
Villeroi.

^ In 1700 she biassed the council, and by her influence
caused them to determine on accepting the will of the
king of Spain, v.hich conferred the cro'\\'n on the duke

200 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

of Anjou. She also formed an intimacy with the princess
(les Ursins, who was all-poAverful in the reign of Philip
v., in order to obtain some influence in the administra-
tion of Spain.

The establishment of Saint Cyr is the only sumptuous
work which she effected. It is said, that, despairing of
gaining the king's attachment, and fearing that he would
never conceive a serious passion for her, she was desirous
of multiplying the objects of her affection, and conse-
quently established and educated two hundred and fifty
young girls of good family, but without beauty or
fortune, and on their leaving Saint Cyr the king gave
them a dower.

But this act of selfish benevolence does not compen-
sate for the evil she did by counselling the king to
revoke the edict of Nantes. Though Louis XIV. had
much grandeur of soul, he possessed also a fanatical and
devotional superstition, which he imbibed from Anne of
Austria. Instead of exercising her influence towards
modifying his religious sentiments, Madame de Mainte-
non was always fearful of appearing attached to her for-
mer faith, and considered it wiser to flatter the sove-
reign upon whose will the publication of her marriage
depended.

Louvois cruelly executed the barbarous decree which
was the result of her pernicious advice, and wliich

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 201

deprived France of three millions of useful and peaceful
citizens. Soldiers were sent into all tlie Protestant towns
and villages, with permission to use every means, with
impunity, for the propagation of the Catholic faith.
Gentlemen were mutilated, and their houses, lands, and
tenantry destroyed by fire and sword ; babes were torn
from the maternal breast; mothers and wives had their
heads shaved, and were thrown into the cells of convents ;
pastors expired on the wheel ; and citizens were burned
in their houses. Such were the consequences of Madame
de Maintenon's fatal influence over Louis XIY.

France was horrified at the consequences of their
union, and the virtuous Fenelon opposed its proclamation
with courageous resistance, for which he paid the price
of exile in 1692. Madame do Maintenon, who knew
how to awaken Louis XIV. 's superstitious terrors, even
caused a blacksmith to come from the little town of Salon,
in Provence, and to assure the king that he had seen the
phantom of Maria Theresa in the forest three several
times, and that the phantom had strictly and solemnly
charged him to tell the king to acknowledge Madame de
Maintenon as queen. Louis admitted this impostor,
and conversed with him in private ; he appeared much
struck at what he communicated, spoke of it with cre-
dulity, and, but for the strenuous zeal of Bossuet and
Fenelon, her ambitious dreams of elevation would have
been realized.

202 MADAME DE MAINTEXON.

To please the king she undertook the conversion of all
her own relatives. In speaking of one of her rebellious
little cousins, she said, " Je la converterai, aussi ; il n'y
a d'autres mojens que la violence." The king's doubts
respecting the sincerity of her religious faith vanished
before such demonstrations of zeal ; her power became
daily more absolute, and she profited by it to load all
her family with riches. In 1698 she married her niece
Mademoiselle d'Aubign^ to the count d'Ayen, afterwards
duke of Noailles, gave her from her own private purse
six hundred thousand francs towards her dower, and
induced the king to give her eight hundred thousand,
and jewels to the amount of four thousand louis, as well
as the situation of dame du palais. She also gave her
husband the appointment of governor of Rousillon and
Berri. Madame de Maintenon was, however, less in-
terested for herself, having refused any gifts from the
king beyond that of the domain of Maintenon.

The enfeebled monarch was never content but in her
society ; he neither conversed, played, nor partook of
his repasts without her, and frequently retired with her
to Marley or Fontainebleau for several successive days.
Thus she robbed France of his paternal solicitude, to
engage him in frivolous superstitions and theological
contentions, or private and insignificant details, which
were quite unworthy the attention of the ruler of a great

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 203

empire. She even infected liini with her affection for
Saint Cjr, for he interested himself in that establish-
ment as if it were of the highest importance, ■\vhile France
was placed upon the edge of a precipice bj the inexpe-
rience of her creature, Chamillart.

His court, once so brilliant, became cold and rigid,
and the king's society was composed of his wife, his con-
fessor La Chaise, the priest Letellier, and some other
fanatics who had advised him to revoke the edict of
Nantes, by which his grandfather, Henry the Great, had
insured peace and security to the Protestants.

In the midst of her grandeur, Madame de Maintenon
was not happy : " Quelle corvde," she one day said to
her brother, " d'avoir a amuser un homme qui n'est plus
amusahle!" The expression may have been true, but it
was equally ungrateful. Her brother, who was much
more worldly, but also more sensible of gratitude, re-
plied : " Aviez-vous done promis d'dpouser Dieu le
Pke?"

As soon as she was convinced that her marriage Avould
never be proclaimed, Madame de Maintenon no longer
dissembled the ennui she felt in the king's society, and
spent much of her time at Saint Cyr, with the young
people over whom she reigned. There she found some
diversion to the weariness she confessed she experienced
at court, for she wrote thus to one of her friends : " Que

204 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

ne puis-je vous donner toute mon experience ? que ne
puis-je vous faire voir 1' ennui qui ddvore les grands, et
la peine qu'ils ont a reraplir leur journde ? . . . Ne voyez-
vous pas que je meurs de tristcsse dans une fortune qu'on
aurait peine a imaginer ? . . . Lc roi ne sort pas de ma

chambre Je ne le sens que trop ; il n'cst pas de

dedommagement pour la perte de la liberte."

While Madame de Maintenon bestowed all her affec-
tions on Saint Cyr, Louis XIV. sometimes relieved the
monotony of his existence by visiting Mademoiselle de
la Chausseraye, who was the daughter of a gentleman
named Lepelet de Verno, of Poitou, and became an in-
digent orphan at a very early age, but was adopted by
her brother, who had her educated and conducted her to
court. Through the interests of her maternal relatives,
Biron, Villeroi, and Brissac, she was nominated maid of
honour to the duchess of Orleans, and by her elegant
manners and agreeable conversation attracted the notice
of the king, who, often wearied with the rigid etiquette
of his wife's stern court, was gratified to meet with a
frank and simple-hearted woman.

Louis's attachment for Mademoiselle de la Chausseraye
is little known ; he first saw her in 1710, and is said to
have entertained no other sentiment for her but that of
friendship ; nevertheless her influence was very great.
He often corresponded with and visited her at her little

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 205

chateau de Madrid, near the Bois de Boulogne, where
his liberalities enabled her to form a collection of cu-
riosities which greatly amused the monarch. He also
frequently sent for her to Versailles, where she went
under pretext of visiting her intimate friend, the duchess
of Ventadour ; and Madame Bloin, who usually conveyed
the king's letters and messages to Mademoiselle de la
Chausseraye, was in the habit of conducting her by a
secret staircase to Louis's private apartments, where,
free from the etiquette of his melancholy court, he took
great pleasure in her cheerful and agreeable conversation.
Mademoiselle de la Chausseraye had friends amongst
all classes of society, and, though not intimate with
Madame de Maintenon, was on friendly terms with her.
She performed many gratuitous acts of kindness, often
suffering the parties she had assisted to remain ignorant
of their benefactress. During the regency of the duke
of Orleans, she preserved her friends at court, as well
as her influence, which was never exercised but in a good
cause ; thus by her presence of mind she saved the
cardinal of Noailles, who was an object of persecution
to the Jesuits, at the period when France was involved
in religious quarrels. This prelate was much beloved
by the Parisians, and the king gave his consent to his
being seized, on going out of the capital, and conveyed
to Rome to be deprived of his dignities. Mademoiselle

VOL. II. — 18

206 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

de la Chausseraye, having discovered this conspiracy
against the archbishop of Paris, immediately sought him,
and persuaded him not to leave the town, by ■which
means she saved the good prelate severe humiliations
and misfortunes.

Until his death Louis XIV. invariably honoured
Mademoiselle de la Chausseraye with his friendship and
confidence. She spent all her life in works of charity
and devotion, and died in retirement at an advanced age
in her chateau de Madrid.

Madame de Maintenon's influence never ceased, not-
withstanding she devoted so much of her time and
affection on Saint Cyr. There she received the homage
of the young people whose fortunes she made. She
could endure no rival, and consequently dismissed the
original foundress of the establishment, the amiable and
exemplary Madame de Brinon, who was reduced to indi-
gence by the change, and nominated one of the pupils
in her place, by which arrangement she became sole
directress. She corresponded with the superiors of all
the religious communities in France, of both sexes, giv-
ing them rules for their conduct, "et se croyait ainsi la
mere de I'c^glise et I'abbesse universelle." She frequently
conducted her royal husband to Saint Cyr, where she
made her pupils perform Racine's sacred tragedies in his
presence. She even desired that the nuns should have

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 207

their dresses made according to the prevailing fashion,
and also that they should discard the -wimple, ■which
covers the neck and throat ; and the pope, Innocent XI.
(Odescalchi), who was in all other respects much gratified
with the efforts Madame de Maintenon had made in
favour of the Catholic religion, sanctioned this singular
decree, saying that he could refuse nothing to la dame
du roi.

She was, however, detested by the people, not only
on account of her participation in the king's acts of vio-
lence against the Protestants, but also for her choice of
ministers, and her influence and interference in political
affairs. At court she had very fcAV friends. The duch-
ess of Burgundy, whom she used to call her mignonne,
died young ; and Madame de Glapion, whom she had
appointed as superior at Saint Cyr, was more her servant
and confidante than her friend. The duke of Maine
was the only being who was attached to her in her old
age, and she made such unceasing endeavours to induce
Louis XIV. to confer the regency on him by will, that
the king, displeased at her importunity, threatened to ex-
clude her own name from that document.

Madame de Maintenon retired to Saint Cyr a few
days previous to Louis XIV. 's death, which occurred in
1715. Some authors say, in excuse for this act of in-
gratitude, that she was urged by A^'illeroi to do so, but

208 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

her duty should have overruled all other persuasions.
This once great monarch, when languishing through his
last feeble hours, found his palace almost deserted, and
his unworthy wife absent from his death-bed, beside which
his faithful and devoted surgeon, Mar^chal, remained
almost alone. When Madame de Maintenon was about
to quit him, he feelingly and affectionately said to her,
" Je ne regrette que vous. Adieu : nous nous reverrons
dans un monde meilleur."

Marshal Villeroi ordered a considerable body of
guards to escort her to Saint Cyr, fearing that she might
receive some injury from the justly irritated people, for
she had been repeatedly hailed by furious clamours in
the streets of Paris, and when the king was about to die
there was no longer any security for her. On entering
her favourite asylum she exclaimed, " Je ne veux que Dieu
et mes enfans." The duke of Orleans, whom she would
have despoiled of the regency if she could have prevailed
on Louis XIV. to nominate the duke of Maine, gene-
rously forgot the injury she would have done him, and
went to visit and console her at Saint Cyr : he also
insisted on continuing her pension of forty-eight thou-
sand francs, honourably declaring that Madame de Main-
tenon's disinterested conduct in regard of herself
rendered it necessary.

In Saint Cyr she lived tranquilly and inexpensively,

MADAME DE MAINTENON. 209

and devoted herself to the government of the commu-
nity and to religious practices. She was sometimes
visited by Madame Caylus, the duke of Noailles, Cardi-
nal Rohan, and Marshal Villeroi ; but her greatest
pleasure was to receive her old pupil, the duke of
Maine. The dethroned queen of England was frequently
a guest at the table of Madame de Maintenon, who was
served by eight or nine young ladies of noble birth,
whose duty it was also to read to her, and attend to all
her personal concerns. After the repast, followed some
hours of conversation, when the queen and Madame dc
Maintenon embraced each other, and the maids of
Jionour accompanied the wife of James II. to her car-
riage. When Peter the Great visited France in 1717,
he expressed a wish to see Louis XIV. 's w^idow, but was
far from manifesting the same enthusiasm for her as
Christina of Sweden displayed for Ninon dc I'Enclos in
her old age. Madame de Maintenon was confined to her
bed when she received the czar, who entered her apart-
ment, drew aside the curtains, stared at her for a few
minutes, and retired without speaking a word.

Instead of being amiable and indulgent in her old age,
she was stern and melancholy, and until her last moments
appeared tormented with the remembrance of honours
which were no longer rendered to her. Her last affec
tions were centred in the duke of Maine, whose exile for
18*

210 MADAME DE MAINTENON.

conspiracy against the regent, hastened her death. On
being informed of his arrest, she prostrated herself at
the foot of the altar, where her extreme agitation brought
on a fever.

When she beheld her end approaching, she made
liberal presents to all the poor in the neighbourhood,
daily received the sacrament, and calmly declared to her
relatives, Madame Caylus and the duke of Noailles, that
she left without regret a world in which she had expe-
rienced nothing but weariness. She expired in 1719,
at the age of eighty-four, infirm in body, but sound in
mind. Her remains were accompanied by all the young
ladies of Saint Cyr to the church of that convent, and
buried in the choir, with great solemnity, in presence of
several bishops. Her tomb, which was destroyed during
the revolution, was re-established in 1802 by the heads
of the college of Saint Cyr. The only remarkable clause
which her will contained is the following : " Je donne a
Monsieur I'Archeveque de Rouen (d'Aubigne) le crucifix
en velours noir qui est au chevet de mon lit, avec le
petit portrait du roi qui est au-dessus, d(^sirant qu'il soit
gardd h jamais par ceux de mon nom qui le regarderont
avec la v^n^ration et la reconnaissance qu'ils lui doivent."

It is a singular fact that, while Madame de Maintenon
governed France, the duchess of Marlborough ruled in
England, and the Princess dcs Ursins in Spain, so that

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 211

a great part of Europe was under the dominion of
women.

Madame de Maintenon's favourite maxim was " Rien
n'est plus adroit qu'une conduite irreprocliable ;" never-
theless she failed to practise it, for, though she possessed
rare talents and some good qualities, she exercised her
influence to the injury of the people and the national
interest ; and sacrificed the Protestants, and the religion
of her birth, in order to obtain the sole wishes of her
heart — her fatal marriage and the proclamation of it.

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

(Reign of Louis XV.)

All Louis XIV. 's children and grandchildren de-
scended to the tomb prematurely, and, of all that bril-
liant and numerous dynasty, one tender and feeble plant
only survived him. He appointed his nephew, the duke
of Orleans, to be regent during the minority of the young
king, Louis XV., although Madame de Maintenon, in
order to induce him to bestow it on her prot^g^, the duke
of Maine, insinuated to the king that the duke of Orleans
himself had spread the mourning veil over the royal house
of Bourbon. But these odious suspicions were discarded

212 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

v/lien it was found that tlie regent surrounded the young
king with every possible care, and felt the most lively
solicitude for his delicate health, so that he surmounted
all dangers, and lived to a good old age. The duke of
Orleans was a man of licentious habits, but he was not
criminal ; and, after the example already offered of the
manner in which he performed his duty to Louis XV.,
it is unnecessary to deny another calumny with which he
was insulted, namely, that he wished to have imprisoned
the young king in the Bastille. The manner in which
he acquitted himself of his duties to the state reflects
honour upon his memory, but his irregularities cannot be
excused ; and though the brilliant conqueror of Stein-
kerque andNerwinde frankly avowed his disorderly habits
when reproached for them, the accusation of murder
always roused his just indignation.

In 1692 he married Mary Frances de Bourbon, Made-
moiselle de Blois, the legitimated daughter of Louis XIV.
and Madame de Montespan. The duke's mother opposed
the union for some time, being astonished, as also were
the courtiers, that the king should marry his nephew to
one of his natural daughters ; but they were so nume-
rous that he could not find suitable establishments for
all, and, having already placed some of them in the royal
houses of Conde and Conti, he observed to tlie duke of
Orleans that, as the war rendered his union with a foreign

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 213

princess impossible, lie had selected one of his own daugh-
ters for him. In vain Madame the duchess of Orleans
wept, reproached her son, and it is said even struck him ;
in vain she assured Mademoiselle de Blois that her future
husband loved another princess ; she replied, " Je ne me
soucie pas qu'il m'aime, mais qu'il m'dpouse ;" and the
marriage took place.

The young duchess possessed few personal attractions.
She was tall, but not so much distinguished for grace as
her mother ; for she w^alked badly ; her complexion,
eyes, and arms were very beautiful, but her eyebrows
were red, although her hair was auburn, and her cheeks
large and pendent. She conversed with fluency, and
inherited Madame de Montespan's graceful language
and facility of elocution. She also maintained great
dignity and reserve in the duke's scandalous court after
he became regent, and was much admired for the re-
spectability of her retinue, her virtuous conduct, the
care she bestowed on the education of her children, her
sincere piety, and her patience under her husband's nu-
merous infidelities. Amongst his many favourites were
the marchioness de Parabene, the countess de Sabran,
and the duchess de Falari ; he did not, however, suffer
either of them to participate in the affairs of state.
One day Madame de Sabran having attempted to speak
to him respecting some political afftiirs and promotions.

214 QUEEN MIRIE LECKZINSKY.

the prince conducted her to a mirror, and asked her if it
was possible for a man to converse on business with so
beautiful a face before him.

The duchess of Orleans had much chagrin, not only
on account of her husband's irregularities, but also her
daughters' depravities, especially that of the eldest.
The court, which had been restrained in its frivolous
tastes and habits by the severity of Madame de Mainte-
non, threw aside the mask on the death of Louis XIV.,
and its liberty degenerated into immoderate licentious-
ness, which the regent encouraged by his example.

This prince, who was endowed with great valour and
a penetrating mind, zealously attended to the affairs of
state during the day, but each night was devoted to
revelling with the rouds and ladies of the court, when
all communication of any kind was interdicted, and the
orgies known under the name of the soupers du regent
continued until morning. At this epoch depravity so
entirely invaded the manners of the highest class of
society, that the duchess of Longueville declared she
did not like innocent pleasures ; and the regent's mother,
Elizabeth Charlotte of Bavaria, thus expresses herself:
" Madame la duchesse de Bourbon pent beaucoup boire
sans perdre la tete ; scs filles veulent I'imiter, mais elles
n'ont pas la tete assez forte." With such examples the
corruption was general ; and under that influence, and

QUEEN MARIE LECKZIXSKY. 215

in that atmosphere, the regent's daughters grew up, it
being impossible for their mother to preclude their living
in their father's court.

The eldest, who was married to Louis XIV. 's grand-
son, the duke of Berri, was a catalogue of all the vices,
avarice excepted. She publicly treated her mother with
the utmost disdain, because she Avas the natural daughter
of Louis XIV. ; assumed the prerogative of a queen ;
had a throne erected for herself in the theatre; received
the ambassadors in her apartments seated on an estrade
beneath a canopy ; always drove about Paris accompanied
by a military band, which preceded her carriage ; and
persuaded her father, who idolized her, to give her a
body-guard composed of fifty gentlemen. This princess
is suspected of having poisoned her husband, who was
very amiable, and who, according to Saint Simon, en-
deavoured for a length of time to induce her to give up
her dissolute mode of life, but, finding his efforts useless,
plainly declared to her that, if she did not attend to his
counsels and put a term to her disorderly conduct, he
would place her in a convent. Shortly after this menace,
the duke of Berri, when dining with his wife at Vei*-
sailles, was suddenly seized with convulsions, of whicli
he died, after drinking some mulled wine which the
duchess herself had prepared for him ; it Avas, however,
generally reported that the prince while hunting had

216 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

met with an injury which brought on a vomiting of blood
that caused his death.

The duchess of Orleans was not more fortunate in her
other daughters, and, wishing the second, Mademoiselle
de Chartres, to avoid the evil example of her elder sister,
resolved that she should enter the cloister. In 1719 she
was named abbess of the Benedictines of Chelles, in
place of Madame Villars ; but the veil did not preserve
Mademoiselle de Chartres from engaging in worldly
amusements and vices ; she frequently followed the
chase, and spent whole days in making fireworks and in
pistol-shooting. Having grown weary of her abbey at
Chelles, in 1731 she repaired to the priory of the Bene-
dictines of the Madelaine du Traisnel at Paris, where
she studied theology, embraced Jansenism, and, while
her fanaticism lasted, signed her letters " V Spouse de
Jesus Christ."

The younger sister. Mademoiselle de Yalois, imitated
the duchess of Berri in her dissolute mode of life, and,
like her, found little pleasure in the society of the
duchess of Orleans and her small circle of exemplary
friends.

The regent had great esteem for his wife, who lived
in a retired manner, and spent a great portion of her
time with Madame Sforce, daughter of Madame de
Thianges, relieving her voluntary solitude by the charms

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 211

of literature, which she encouraged. Nevertheless, she
frequently expressed herself impatient for the approach
of death, declaring herself weary of her existence, —
one of the many proofs that happiness does not always
dwell with elevated rank or wealth ; for her husband
skilfully governed one of the largest empires in the
world, and she was the possessor of three millions of
francs (a considerable sum in those days), and jewels to
the amount of two hundred thousand crowns.

The duchess of Orleans died in 1749, leaving one
son, Louis Philip duke of Orleans, and seven daughters.

After the death of the regent, who had negotiated a
marriage for Louis XV. with the Infanta of Spain, the
duke of Bourbon became prime minister, and, perceiving
that his young master, who was then sixteen years of
age, had no great affection for his future wife, who was
only six, proposed that he should espouse a princess that
was older, and a council was held upon the subject.
Accordingly the Infanta was sent back to Spain under
the pretext that it was necessary to provide France with
a queen immediately, and that the extreme youth of
Maria Theresa would prevent her marriage from taking
place for some years. A large escort and brilliant
honours attended the young princess on her return to
Spain ; nevertheless Philip V. keenly felt the affront
which had been offered to his daughter, and manifested

VOL. II. — 19

218 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

his resentment by sending his eldest son's widow back
to France, as also Mademoiselle de Beaujolais, who was
aflfianced to the Infanta Don Carlos, both of whom were
daughters of the regent ; no doubt his mortification was
increased in consequence of the sovereign pontiff Cle-
ment XL's (Albani) having approved of the measure.

The Czarina Catherine I. offered to bestow her daughter
Elizabeth on Louis XV., but the duke of Bourbon, who
was entirely governed by his favourite the marchioness
de Prie, a very talented but dissolute woman, refused
this eligible alliance, as the marchioness feared her
authority would be restrained by an energetic queen.
Through Madame de Prie's influence also, the minister
sacrificed the best interests of his own family, having
refused the crown for his sister, Mademoiselle de Ver-
mandois, who possessed strictly virtuous morals : this
princess frankly expressed her disapproval and contempt
of her brother's mistress and her immoral conduct, and
was therefore rejected by the weak-minded duke of
Bourbon.

The marchioness de Prie, wishing to preserve the
direction of affairs, fixed her choice on a princess whose
well known timidity and resei've were the consequence
of a long series of misfortunes, and Marie Leckzinsky
gratefully closed her eyes upon the vices of the woman
through whose influence she ascended the throne ; and

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 219

after the duke of Bourbon's banishment, sincerely pitied
the fate of the beautiful and ambitious marchioness, who,
unable to support her grief at her own and the duke's
disgrace, poisoned herself at Courbepine, to which place
she was exiled.

Marie Charlotte Sophie Felicite Leckzinskv was the
daughter of Stanislaus I., king of Poland and duke of
Lorraine and Bar, and of Catherine Opalinska, a descend-
ant of one of the most ancient chiefs of Lithuania : she
was born at Posen in 1703. From her cradle Marie
Leckzinsky was besieged by misfortunes. Her father,
the faithful ally of Charles XII., king of Sweden, by
whose aid he ascended the throne of Poland, shared the
reverses which befell the Swedish monarch. After the
defeat at Pultawa in 1709, Stanislaus 'and his family
were obliged to quit "Warsaw, which he could not defend,
and in their precipitate retreat his daughter was aban-
doned by her governess, who, in order to accelerate her
own flight, left the princess with the baggage in a small
public-house, where she was found in the loft of the
stable.

Stanislaus, for whose head a price was offered by the
diet, and also by his competitor Augustus, resided with
his daughter for some time on the confines of the Baltic
Sea, and afterwards in Pomerania ; and, while Charles
XII. was at Bender, took up his abode at Deux Ponts,

220 QUEEN MAEIE LECKZINSKY.

At length, to insure repose, he requested an asylum in
France, where he and his daughter were received by the
duke of Orleans, in 1720, with the greatest kindness and
respect. The regent having offered him his choice of
a residence, Stanislaus fixed on Weissemburg.

At this period the princess of Poland was seventeen
years of age, and, notwithstanding her father's reverses,
had received a careful education, he having cultivated
her mind during their retirement : amongst other acquire-
ments, she was an excellent linguist, speaking six differ-
ent languages with fluency.

At an epoch of almost unparalleled depravity, in which
women virtuously educated like Marie Lcckzinsky were
few, her strict morality and honourable misfortunes in-
duced several sensible men, who appreciated her merit, to
seek her hand ; amongst others she refused matrimonial
offers from two sovereign princes of Germany, having felt
an attachment for the count d'Estrees, an officer of the
garrison at Weissemburg, who was young, intellectual,
and in every respect worthy of her. The count respect-
fully expressed his wishes to the deposed monarch, who,
being aware of his daughter's sentiments, promised to
grant his consent to her marriage with him, provided
Louis XV. would give liim the title of duke and peer
of France.

This favour, which was accorded some time after, was

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKT. 221

refused at that time, but Marie always preserved the
remembrance of her first attacliment, and when queen,
on receiving the duchess d'Estr^es after her marriage,
remarked, " Je pourrais etre a la place de cette dame,
et venir faire ici la reverence a la Reine de France."

When the duke of Bourbon had decided upon placing
Marie Leckzinskj on the throne, the cardinal prince de
Rohan, bishop of Strasbourg, Avas sent to Stanislaus to
demand her hand in marriage. The dethroned monarch
received this consoling offer in his retreat at Weissem-
burg, and, falling on his knees, energetically thanked
God for the blessing he had vouchsafed him, and,
embracing his daughter, joyfully informed her that she
was queen of France. The duke of Orleans, son of the
late regent, repaired to Strasbourg, and married the
princess in the king's name, and the ceremony was per-
formed by the cardinal de Rohan.

Louis XV. was accompanied by the court to Moret^
and conducted the queen to Fontainebleau, where the
marriage was realized in 1725.

Marie Leckzinsky was seven years older than the
young king, who duly appreciated the excellence of her
character. The first years of their marriage were not,
like those of Louis XIV. and Maria Theresa, devoted
to tournaments and public entertainments, but spent in
comparative retirement; and Louis XV., who fondly
19*

222 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

cherished his wife, left Versailles only to visit Ramhouil-
let, the residence of the count of Toulouse, whose "wife
was a woman of polished manners and virtuous habits,
and whose society accorded with her character, and was
very agreeable to the king. They were all friends of
the bishop of Frejus, who was much gratified at his
former pupil's choice of company ; the duke of Bourbon
was also pleased by it, because he was more at liberty
to govern according to his own will ; but numerous mur-
murs against his administration soon caused his disgrace,
and the afi'airs of state passed into the hands of the
king's old and attached preceptor Fleury, whom he made
a cardinal.

The life of Louis XV., whose kingdom was skilfully
governed by Fleury, was very monotonous ; naturally
timid, his whole pleasure consisted in the bosom of his
family, and the nation became inert and indolent from
the example of the court, and above all the monarch,
whose apathy had been increased by the indulgence of
it during his childhood, as his guardians liad been always
fearful of fatiguing his delicate constitution. Several
of the elder courtiers, amongst others Villars and Fleury,
remonstrated with him on the subject, and induced him
to be more active. Louis, who was only sixteen years
of age at the time of his marriage, was so much attached
to his wife, that he beheld in her many charms which

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 223

she did not actually possess, so that, when prevailed on
to enlarge his circle of society, it was not long before
this happy illusion was destroyed by interested and am-
bitious courtiers.

The person who first tempted the young monarch to
break his conjugal faith was Louisa Julia de Nesle,
daughter of the marquis de Nesle, and of Louisa de la
Porte Mazarin: she was born at Paris in 1710. At the
age of sixteen she married her cousin Louis Alexandre
de Mailly, and in 1729 succeeded her mother in the
office of superintendent of the queen's household. The
countess de Mailly was not beautiful, but she had much
vivacity and highly polished manners; moreover, she
possessed remarkable taste in dress. Iler husband, who
was displeased at the attendance of the king, remon-
strated ; upon which he was sent out of France by an
appointment to an embassy.

This lady never exercised her influence over Louis to
procure either wealth or aggrandizement for herself or
her relatives, but she instilled most depraved principles
into Louis's mind, and was the first to establish the j)efits
soupers, which scandalized all the court. She had four
sisters — Madame de Ventimille, the duchess do Lara-
guais, the marchioness de la Tournelle, and Madame do
Flavacour. The youngest of them, who was at a con-
vent, being dazzled with the power and influence of the

224 QUEEN MxYRIE LECKZINSKY.

countess de Maillj, entreated her to take her to court,
wliere slie made successful efforts to please the king and
supplant her sister ; she however died in giving birth to
the count de Luc, in 1741,

After her death the duchess de Laraguais is said to
have been the favourite, but she was soon discarded, and
the countess de Maill j restored ; her favour did not, how-
ever, last long, as Louis manifested a much greater
attachment for another of the marquis de Nesle's daugh-
ters, the marchioness de la Tournelle, and Madame de
Mailly was obliged to resign her situation of superin-
tendent of the queen's household, after which she lived
in retirement. Converted by the eloquent and pious
counsels of Pere Renaud of the Oratoire, she became as
virtuous and modest in her conduct as she had formerly
been disreputable and immoral ; she expiated the scandal
she had caused by rigid penance, and died, sincerely re-
penting her faults, in 1751, aged forty-two years.

The countess de Mailly, unlike most of the royal
favourites, was never injurious to the state; she neither
bestowed favours nor exercised vengeance. Once only
she participated in the affairs of the government, by en-
ergetically entreating the king to save the remains of the
French troops in Bohemia, whom the old Cardinal Fleury
had abandoned from motives of timid parsimony.

Iler sister, Anne Mary do Nesle, who supplanted her,

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 225

was married at the age of seventeen to the marquis de la
Tournelle, who left her a widow at twenty-three. This
lady far surpassed all her sisters in personal charms ; she
was also a talented musician. In 1742 Louis XY. gave
her the appointment of dame du palais to the queen, who
was condemned to be brought into contact with all her
husband's favourites in consequence of their functions
obliging them to have apartments in the palace.

The marchioness, on causing her sister's dismissal, per-
suaded Louis to give her a pension of thirty-six thousand
francs a year, and pay her debts, which amounted to
seven hundred and sixty thousand livres. She also ob-
tained a pension of eighty thousand francs for herself, a
splendid hotel in Paris, and the title of duchess de Cha-
teauroux.

In vain the queen, who dreaded new affronts on the
appearance of a new favourite, endeavoured, with the as-
sistance of the count de Maurcpas and Cardinal Fleury,
to maintain the cause of the countess de Mailly ; the
duchess possessed an intriguing spirit, and easily subju-
gated the indolent monarch, who was not alarmed at the
prospect of his mistress assuming the burden of state
afl[\iirs.

As long as the king considered his ({ueen the fairest
and most amiable of women, Marie Leckzinsky was the
happiest and most enviable of wives ; but when the cruel

226 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

truth of his changed senthnents became apparent to her,
she sought to relieve her desolation by the resom'ces
which her Avell-cultivated mind afforded. She regulated
her daily employment, rose early, attended mass, visited
the king, received the princes and ambassadors, and then
returned to her own apartments, where she amused her-
self with making crayon drawings and reading, and, with
the aid of a small printing-machine, made impressions
of prayers and moral precepts of her own composition.
She partook of her repasts in public, in order that all
Avho wished might see her, for she was universally
esteemed and beloved. In her own apartments she
superintended the making of every desci'iption of refresh-
ments which were requisite for the sick-room of the poor,
as well as all kinds of wearing apparel, from the cradle-
robe to the coffin-shroud. She frequently caused a table
to be laid for the workmen in the chateau, that she might
have the pleasure of seeing them enjoy their repast.
During a reign of forty-three years, Marie Leckzinsky
never gave fetes, because she said the people paid for
them by the " sweat of their brow ;" the expense of her
marriage was the only charge the state was required to
defray on her account.

Although her heart was daily breaking in consequence
of the numberless infidelities and the altered character
of her husband, Marie never permitted herself to reproach

QUEEN MAraE LECKZINSKY. 227

Lim, or relinquished the moderation and gentleness which
she always manifested towards him, but buried her sor-
rows in her own bosom, save when she poured them forth
to heaven in her oratory.

The king's frequent absences often obliged the queen
to receive the foreign ambassadors and dignitaries of the
state ; but although she possessed talent, she never inter-
fered in the administration. The duke of Bourbon hav-
ing once asked her to take a more active part in the
government, she replied, '' Les Francais accordent tout
aux femmes, excepte le droit de les gouverner."

While Marie Leckzinsky was pining in isolation for
the loss of the affection of Louis XV., the duchess de
Chateauroux was the sole possessor of it. But, though
proud and ambitious, this favourite contrived to rouse
him from his idleness and apathy. Like another Agnes
Sorel, she urged him to put himself at the head of his
army in Flanders and Alsace ; and his kingdom was
indebted to his bravery and resolution for the victory of
Fontenay.

In 1744 Louis XV. was attacked with a putrid fever
at Metz, and was so dangerously ill that his life was
despaired of. During his indisposition, the duchess de
Chateauroux never quitted him, but attended him with
most affectionate and anxious solicitude, assisted by the
duke of Richelieu, first gentleman of the chamber. Q'his

228 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

nobleman was desirous of concealing the king's danger-
ous state from him, in order, as he said, to spare him
the terrors of death ; but the duke de Chartres, who was
first prince of the blood royal, assisted by Fitzjames,
bishop of Soissons, the king's almoner, announced it to
him, and the prelate exhorted him to prepare himself for
the awful change which awaited him by first renouncing
the sin of an illegitimate attachment. The king became
resigned, and, although he declared his favourite was all
that he regretted in the world, yielded to the bishop's
solicitations, and sent the duchess an order for her
departure by the count d'Argenson.

Although the duchess de Chateauroux was generally
liked because her influence over the king had been
exerted for his benefit as well as that of the nation, her
departure was accompanied by great opprobrium on the
part of the people, who believed that she had been instru-
mental in causing the king's malady ; and this brilliant
favourite, who entered Metz in triumph, could not find
a carriage in which to leave the town : she was, therefore,
provided with a conveyance and escort by the marshal
de Bellisle ; nevertheless she reached Paris at the risk
of her life.

On her dismissal, the queen arrived at Metz to ofier
her attentions to the king, whom she found in an improved
condition and desirous of repairing the injuries and injus-

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 229

tice lie had done her. The people, who were delighted
to find their sovereign restored to life and virtue together,
proclaimed him the hien-aime, and gave way throughout
all France to inexpressible enthusiasm; on his return to
Paris he was overwhelmed with demonstrations of affec-
tion, so that he inquired what he had done to merit so
much love.

In the mean time the discarded duchess pined in ob-
scurity, but Louis, who was surrounded by corrupt advi-
sers, yielded to his natural weakness, and resumed his
criminal habits. Notwithstanding his professions to the
queen, he eagerly sought to make the duchess de Cha-
teauroux forget the affront she had received at Metz,
and accordingly obliged the count d'Argenson to present
the letter of recall to her in person ; and the bishop of
Soissons, who had done nothing more than perform the
strict line of duty which his ministry required of him,
was exiled to his diocese. But this triumph of vice was
of short duration ; the joy that the duchess felt at her
reinstatement, and some neglect in the care of her
health, caused a physical revolution which destroyed her
in a few days after her return to court. In vain her
sister, Madame de Mailly, left her retreat to offer her
the proofs of her affection and solicitude, and as vainly
did Louis summon all the aid which his kingdom could
produce ; her death, which occurred in 1744, opened a

VOL. II. — 20

230 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

career for tlie marquis de Nesle's fifth daughter, Madame
de Flavacour, but this lady repulsed the offers and pro-
fessions of Louis XV. with laudable perseverance ; her
exemplary life was free from the storms which agitated
those of her sisters, and she justified the friendship with
which Marie Leckzinsky honoured her.

His own dangerous illness, and the duchess's sudden
and melancholy end, was a fearful lesson for the king,
but it was lost upon him. When engaged in his favour-
ite amusement of hunting, he frequently met Madame
Lenormand d'Etioles in the forest of Scnart, near which
that lady resided. Attracted by her grace and beauty,
he sent her the produce of the chase, and, not content
with this overture, invited her to a masked ball which
was given by the Parisians to the dauphin in honour of
his marriage with Maria Theresa, the Infanta of Spain,
in 1744 ; and availed himself of the confusion of the
fete to declare his passion.

Jane Antoinette Poissan was born at Ferte-sous-
Jouarre, in 1722. Her father, who was victualler to the
Hotel des Invalides, was ruined through some dishonour-
able management, and obliged to seek another fortune
in a foreign country, leaving his daughter in France
with her mother, who possessed the means of giving her
a brilliant education, aided by Lenormand de Tournehcm,

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 231

under-steTvard of the farms belonging to the revenue, and
one of her relations.

Mademoiselle Poissan was an excellent musician, and
drew and engraved with much taste and accuracy. Her
mother, Avho was of low origin, instilled into her mind
the criminal idea of endeavouring to captivate the heart
of the monarch, and with this view induced her to follow
him to the hunt, where, by her graceful horsemanship,
she could not fail to attract his notice. Although
Madame Poissan often repeated that none but a prince
was worthy of possessing a woman endowed with so
many advantages as her daughter, she gave her in mar-
riage to her nephew Augustus Lenormand d'Etioles, who,
on discovering the encouragement his young wife gave
Louis XV., openly complained ; but was appointed to
the office of farmer-general to the revenue, with direc-
tions to be silent. His obsequious obedience to this
command gave the king so much satisfaction, that he
shortly after made him a royal equerry.

Madame d'Etioles had a mixture of cunning and
melancholy in the expression of her countenance ; her
complexion was very fair, and her figure, arms, and hands
remarkably beautiful.

Louis at first provided her with a house at Versailles ;
but afterwards gave her apartments in the chateau, where
each year her extravagances increased. Louis XV.,

232 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

though avaricious by instinct, was prodigal through weak-
ness ; he gave Madame d'Etloles six estates, besides
splendid hotels in Paris, Fontainebleau, and Compiegne,
where she amassed such a considerable quantity of fur-
niture and other valuables, that after her death the sale
occupied each day during the space of twelve months.
He gave her a pension of fifteen hundred thousand
livres, besides daily presents, independently of which she
had six hundred thousand livres to enable her to have
her table always served for the reception of her royal
lover, who also created her marchioness of Pompadour.

The ceremony of her presentation at court took place
with great eclat, the king having requested the princess
de Conti to introduce her, and her respectful behaviour
induced the queen to admit her occasionally at her
table ; but this undeserved honour was not long con-
tinued. After her own elevation, she directed her atten-
tion to that of her family. Her brother was named
Marquis de Marigui, and the superintendent of public
buildings. Louis XV. called this person petit frere, as
the count Dubarri afterwards called \um.frerot.

In 1752 Madame de Pompadour received the title and
ofiice of dame du palais, very much in opposition to the
wishes of the queen and many of the courtiers, not only
because it was a post exclusively reserved for ladies
holding the rank of duchess, but also because her

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 233

immoral conduct rendered her unfit for so honouraLle an
appointment.

With the exception of the prince and princess of
Conti, who "were on friendly terms vrith her, the royal
family visited her only to please the king. One of the
chevaliers of Saint Louis was her equerry ; she always
had young ladies of noble birth to wait on her ; and her
daughter, when only fifteen years of age, had the equip-
age of a king's daughter, and was always called 3Iadame
Alexandrine, or Mademoiselle, like the princesses of the
blood royal.

Madame de Pompadour, knowing Louis's aversion to
business, resolved to relieve him of that burden, and
assumed the reins of government herself: but, like
Madame de Maintenon, either through mischance or a
combination of circumstances, she was not fortunate
in her choice of ministers ; perhaps submission and flat-
tery formed the great merits of those whom they selected.
In 1749 the marchioness dismissed the count de Maure-
pas, who was much beloved by the king, and had held
the office of minister of marine for the space of twenty-
seven years, because he wrote some insulting epigrams
upon her, and gave the place to Monsieur de Bouille,
who knew nothing of naval affairs ; and, in opposition
to tlie unanimous voice of the country, elevated the
prince of Soubise to the dignity of Marshal of France,
20*

234 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

and appointed him to a command, the result of which
choice was the unfortunate defeat at Rosbach in the
year 1756.

The marchioness de Pompadour possessed the talent
of amusing the indolent king, who frequently remarked
that she made the time pass quickly : in fact, she
conceived the most ingenious artifices to divert him.
At the expense of the revenue, she built a small house
at Versailles, called the Hermitage, where she received
the monarch sometimes in the garb of a milk-maid or
shepherdess, at others in the guise of a gray-sister or
abbess. Her occupations in the administration of pub-
lic affairs did not prevent her from partaking of recrea-
tion. In all the royal residences she erected theatres,
in which she sometimes performed herself. At Bellevue
she played the part of Colette in '■'■ Le Devin du Vil-
lage ;" and to recompense Voltaire for an opera which
he wrote for her, she gave him the titles of gentleman of
the king's chamber and historiographer of France. She
also tried to attach Jean Jacques Rousseau to her, but
the indigent philosopher, to whom she sent a present of
twelve louis-d'ors, refused to accept anything beyond
the price of his work.

She loved literature and the fine arts, and encouraged
and favoured Montesquieu, Buffon, Maupertuis, and all
the literary characters of the period. She also carried

QUEEN MARIE LEGKZINSKV. 235

her love of luxury to a high degree, and by the intro-
duction of voluptuous manners corrupted the court and
town, and wasted the revenue, while she considered that
she repaired these evils sufficiently by favouring the agri-
cultural views of political economists.

The talents of this ambitious favourite cannot, however,
be disputed. The illustrious Maria Theresa of Austria
appreciated her judgment and influence; and, to obtain
the co-operation of France with the view of recovering
Silesia from Frederick IL, king of Prussia, this proud
descendant of Rodolph of Hapsbourg did not disdain
to correspond with Madame de Pompadour, whom in her
confidential letters she styled her amie et bonne cousine,
and whose self-love the Prussian monarch had offended
by some satirical remarks : she accordingly induced Louis
XV. to forget the enmity which had existed between
France and Austria for the space of two centuries, and
the treaty of Vienna was the result of this reconciliation.
Maria Theresa testified her acknowledgment and regard
for the favourite by sending her her own portrait splen-
didly set in diamonds.

During the time that the marchioness de Pompadour
was the distributor of all the royal gifts and government
employments, it required but a little adulation to obtain
her favour, but sarcasm or criticisms on her conduct she
never forgave. Some flattering stanzas which the Abbd

236 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

Bernis addressed to her, purchased him her protection ;
she gave him a bishopric, with a pension of six thousand
livres, and afterwards elevated him to the post of minister
of foreign affairs. Some years after, having heard that
lie had uttered some contemptuous remarks respecting
her conduct, her resentment was unbounded, and she
declared that she would replace him in the obscurity from
which she had drawn him ; he was consequently disgraced
and exiled. Amongst others who suff"ered for wounding
her self-love was a young officer of the engineers named
Latude, who, for composing some satirical lines upon
her, was thrown into one of the dungeons of the Bastille,
where he was detained a close prisoner for the space of
thirty-five years.

On assuming the direction of public aff'airs, Madame
de Pompadour considered it necessary to consolidate
herself in her post of favourite. Politic in her projects,
ambition supplied the place of love ; she was therefore
never tormented with jealous fears ; but to secure her-
self from dangerous rivals who might have supplanted
her, she built, in 1754, the Pare mix Cerfs near the
forest of Satory at Versailles, where she assembled a
number of young ladies, who had no merit beyond their
personal attractions, to divert the passing aff'ections of
the indolent king. By this means the marchioness intro-
duced corruption into numerous fiimilics, and Louis XV.,

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 237

who was the Christian king of a Christian country,
despising morality and disregarding the contempt of all
Europe, became the Sardanapalus of modern times, per-
verted all classes of society, and wasted upon these
vulgar beauties sums of money which would for years
have maintained numerous fleets and considerable armies.
It is estimated that upwards of a hundred millions of
francs were squandered upon this disgraceful establish-
ment, which was suppressed in 1768. There exist a
multitude of memoirs of this period of the life of Louis
XV., the details of which would doubtless be better
buried in oblivion than produced even with their due
allowance of censure.

While private profligacy increased at court, public dis-
orders augmented throughout the kingdom. There were
troubles in the church, schisms among the bishops, agi-
tations among the magistracy, discord among families,
and disturbances among the people. In 1757 the king
was stabbed on stepping into his carriage by a man
named Damiens ; but the blow was not mortal : the ruflian
confessed that he was urged to commit the crime by the
general discontent. On receiving the news of this
catastrophe, Madame de Pompadour left the palace, and
the dauphin, who had always been kept in restraint by his
father and unemployed in the aifairs of state, was sum-
moned to the council ; but vrhcn the general alarm for

238 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

the king's safety had dissipated, the favourite returned
triumjohantly, and the Count d'Argenson, who had loudly
exulted at her fall, was immediately disgraced ; after
which few men of vigour or talent remained in the
ministry.

The reverses of the French army, which were imputed
to the consequences of the war of Seyt Ayis, were a
subject of serious regret and melancholy to Madame de
Pompadour, and interfered with the enjoyment of her
power. Her anxiety on the occasion is observable in her
letters ; for the details of that war are no less inglorious
to France than the motives for entering upon it were
unjust, or the policy which directed it was imprudent.

For more than two years before her death she suffered
from debility, and gradually sunk into the grave. Feel-
ing the end of her shameful career approach when at
Choisi, she caused herself to be removed to Versailles,
and in 1764 finished her days in the king's palace, where
the royal family alone have the privilege of dying. A
few moments before her death, after arranging her dress,
she sent for the curate of the parish, who administered
the sacrament to her, and, after having performed his
functions, was about to retire, when she said to him,
"Attendez, monsieur; nous partirons ensemble," and
expired. She was forty-two years of age at the time
of her decease. Far from regretting her, Louis XV.,

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 239

Vi'ho was then neither attached to her by esteem for her
character nor admiration of her charms, which had
faded, appeared glad to be freed by her death from any
further occasion for committing crime. Alas ! but a
short interval elapsed before his courage was exhausted,
notwithstanding the efforts of his amiable wife to win
him back to the virtuous life he had so long abandoned.
He displayed little emotion on seeing Madame de Pom-
padour's corpse pass beneath his Avindows when con-
veyed to her own hotel, and at the hour appointed for
the funeral looked at the sky, and said, " La marquise
aura mauvais temps pour son dernier voyage." Never-
theless, during her illness he paid her unceasing attention,
and always consulted her on political affairs : until her
last moments she took an active part in the administra-
tion, and died with the reins of government in her hand.
It is remarkable that Louis felt so little re2;ret at his
separation from a woman who for tAventy years had borne
the weight of government, unfortunate as her adminis-
tration was for France, for no favourite had ever pos-
sessed such extensive power as the marchioness de Pom-
padour. Altliough Madame de Maintenon exercised her
influence in directing the choice of ministers, Louis XIV.,
enfeebled as he was, never permitted her the exclusive
riglit of governing ; it was reserved for Louis XV. to
offer to all Europe the example of a monarch who was

240 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

SO contemptible as to abandon the sceptre Trhich his birth
had conferred on him into the hands of a mistress, and
thus prove himself un-vrorthy to bear it. It is but justice,
however, to add, that she caused the erection of the
Ecole Militaire and the manufactory of porcelain at
Sevres.

When she assumed the government of the state and
the prerogatives of a queen, the frequent journeys of the
court to Compiegne brought Marie Leckzinsky into such
close contact with her, that the queen retired to the con-
vent of the Carmelites in that town, which she endowed
and was much attached to. She also favoured the
Jesuits, and succoured them when banished, by requesting
her father to afford them an asylum in Lorraine, and,
after his death, entreated Louis XV. to permit them to
remain there — a request which he granted. Amongst
the literary characters whose society and works she
valued were Monterief and Ilenaut.

Marie Leckzinsky attended to the education of her
children with exemplary care, and was rej^aid by their
amiable and dutiful conduct ; but she had the misfortune
to lose several. The duke of Anjou died at the age of
two years and six months ; in 1733 she lost the princess
Marie, who also died young ; and in 1752, the Princess
Henrietta, who was twenty-four years of age. She was
greatly afflicted at the death of the dauphin's first wife.

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 241

Maria Theresa, who died in her accouchement, hut was
consoled hy the Dauphine Marie Josephine, who repLaced
her. This princess was the daughter of Augustus II.,
who had dethroned Marie Leckzinsky's father, Stanis-
hius. On her first introduction at ^he court of France,
etiquette obliged her to wear, amongst other ornaments,
a bracelet adorned with the portrait of her father.
Marie Leckzinsky was unwilling to cast her eyes upon
the resemblance of one who had been so bitter an enemy
to her beloved parent, but resigned herself to the usual
custom, not wishing her young daughter-in-law to think
that animosity reigned in her heart ; she therefore said
to the timid girl, " Ma fille, voila done le portrait de
votre pere?" " Oui, maman," replied the dauphine;
"voyez comme il est ressemblant !" at the same time
she placed it before the eyes of the queen, who beheld
the portrait of her father Stanislaus. This little anec-
dote affords a proof of the amiable disposition of the
princess, for whom Marie Leckzinsky entertained a sin-
cere affection ; but she had the misfortune to lose her
virtuous son the dauphin in 1762, and the dauphine,
worthy wife of so excellent a prince, survived him only
fifteen months. She injured her health by her zealous
assiduities to her husband during his illness, and the
regret she felt at his loss, and the fatigue she underwent
in educating her children, undermined her strength.
VOL. ir. — 21

242 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

The same tomb at Sens contains the ashes of this amia-
ble pair. The queen of France extended her benevo-
lence to the other children of Augustus II., "who in their
turn were forced to expatriate, but at her solicitations
received a safe asylum from Stanislaus in Lorraine.

The loss of these children, added to the grief she ex-
perienced at the unfortunate accident ■which caused her
father's death, threw Marie Leckzinskj into a state of
languor from which she never recovered. The old king,
Stanislaus, who had been the idol of Lorraine for thirty
years, fell a victim to an accident ; the fire in his apart-
ment having caught his dressing-gown at a moment when
he happened to be alone, and his cries for assistance not
having reached any of his attendants.

During the queen's illness, which assumed a serious
appearance in 1768, the chateau was always surrounded
with crowds of anxious inquirers, and Louis XV., who
appreciated these marks of public respect, which were
offered to virtue, exclaimed, " Voyez done comme elle est
aimee !" Her malady was of an extraordinary nature,
as it entirely suspended the faculties of her mind, and
gave her the appearance, even when awake, of being in
an uneasy slumber. After she had breathed her last
sigh, the king, whose esteem for his wife had never for-
saken him, advanced towards the bed on which the corpse
lay, and once more embraced the mother of his ten
children.

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 243

After her death her dresses and other objects were
cut in pieces and preserved by the people as precious
relics ; she was called La Sainte Heine, and during eight
days her body lay in state to gratify the nation that so
much venerated her. Monsieur Poucet de la Riviere,
Bishop of Troyes, delivered her funeral oration at Notre
Dame de Paris. An immense congregation, who had
assembled on the occasion, forgetting in their enthusi-
asm the respect which was due to the sanctity of the
church, burst forth into loud acclamations of applause,
when the orator, addressing himself to the Archbishop
of Paris, exclaimed, "Pontife du Dieu vivant, ne crai-
gnez pas d'offrir sur le tombeau de la reine un encens que
nos neveux bruleront peut-etre un jour sur ses autcls."

The union of Louis XV. with Marie Leckzinsky has
been blamed as too modest, compared with the marriage
originally determined on with the Infanta of Spain ; it
nevertheless added an important province to the kingdom,
for, on the death of Stanislaus, Lorraine belonged by
treaty to France, in compensation for the throne of
Poland.

It might be supposed that the death of this excellent
woman would have left a wholesome effect upon the king's
mind, but his intimacy with the countess Dubarri shows
that he was insensible to any virtuous impressions except
such as Avere of the most evanescent nature.

244 QUEEN xMARIE LECKZINSKY.

This lady, wlio was equally celebrated for her beauty,
profligacy, and unfortunate end, was the daughter of a
farmer named Gomart de Vaubernier, in Vaucouleurs,
and was born in 1746. Her father having died, leaving
his widow without fortune, she was obliged to enter ser-
vice at Paris. Fortunately the young girl had a rich
godfather named Dumonccau, who was in the commis-
sariat department, and who undertook to defray the
expenses of her education at the convent of Saint Aure,
where he placed her. Thinking that he had accomplished
his duty towards his goddaughter. Monsieur Dumonceau
saw nothing of her after her education was completed, and
Mademoiselle Gomart de Vaubernier, being without either
an asylum or resources, obtained employment at a dress-
maker's in Paris. The description of her occupations, the
brilliant women whom she beheld, and the many indiscreet
remarks upon her beauty which she was constantly in the
habit of hearing, gave rise to the dreams of a romantic
imagination, and disgusted her with her employment.

She was desirous of living in a less humble sphere,
and imagined that her personal charms entitled her to
wealth and prosperity. "With such sentiments it was
not long before Mademoiselle de Gomart fell into some
of the many snares which beset the path of the inexpe-
rienced and friendless. One of her relations introduced
her into the house of a lady of quality who had dissi-
pated her fortune, and was endeavouring to retrieve it

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 245

bj gambling. At one of this lady's suppers, the young
girl, who had taken the name of Lange, attracted the
attention of the count Dubarri, a gentlemen of Gascony,
"who, finding her indifferent to his offers, gave his consent
to her marriage Avith his brother. They were descend-
ants of the ancient and noble house of Barrymore in
Ireland ; nevertheless the fear of tarnishing the name
by so disproportionate an alliance was not taken into
consideration, and the marriage took place in 1768.

The countess Dubarri was universally admired, and
the report of her beauty reached the ears of Lebel, the
king's valet-de-chambre, who lost no time in procuring
her an interview with his royal master, upon whom her
personal charms made a lively impression. She was
possessed of little talent, and had no ambitious views,
so that her frank and simple manners delighted him,
and even those ladies at court who did not like her ren-
dered justice to her candour, sweetness of temper, and
complacency. It has also been remarked that, after she
became attached to Louis XV., she never gave cause for
suspecting her conduct or affection by the smallest act
of indiscretion ; but her prodigality was ruinous to France.

She always used gold plate, and possessed a cup of

that metal of enormous value, which was given her by

the king. The duke of xViguillon, in order to render

himself agreeable to the monarch, presented her with a

91 *

246 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

magnificent carriage which cost fifty-two thousand francs.
On the day of her fete Louis XV. gave her a bouquet
of diamonds valued at three hundred thousand francs,
and also a dressing-table of massive gold, surmounted
by two Cupids of the same metal holding a crown en-
riched with precious stones, and so ingeniously disposed
that she could not look on the mirror without beholding:
herself crowned. On receiving the order for this extra-
vagant piece of furniture, the astonished artist required
the sum of four hundred marks in advance. Independ-
ently of these prodigalities, Madame Dubarri gave at
play drafts for large sums at sight, which the abb^ Ter-
ray and the court banker Beaujon paid with greater ex-
actitude than the expenses of the government. To meet
the exigencies of her husband and brother-in-law, the
countess drew more than eighteen millions from the trea-
sury, but she did not partake of that sum, and beyond
the gifts of the king she made neither acquisitions nor
savings.

As etiquette prevented her appearing at court without
an introduction, Louis XV. resolved that she should be
presented with all the usual ceremony : several ladies
refused their patronage, but at length Madame du Beam
consented to render her this service ; and from that
time the countess made use of the royal carriages, dined
with the king, received visits from the ambassadors, and

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 247

was present at all the great coui't entertainments. This
favour to a woman whose origin was base, and who was
encouraging the weak monarch to plunge into every
species of prodigality and excess, dishonouring him still
more than he had already dishonoured himself, and
rendering him an object of profound contempt to his
people, caused the retirement of MadamT de Beauveau
and the duchesses de Choiseul and Gremmont, who dis-
dained to associate with Madame Dubarri ; and several
others followed their example. But Louis, forgetting
all decency and the respect which he owed to his own
family, brought her into close intimacy with the prin-
cesses ; and there is every reason to believe that her
objection to the favourite's society, and the fear of dis-
pleasing her father by a refusal to join in it, was the
cause which determined his daughter Louisa to take
the veil in the austere order of the Carmelites in 1770.

Although the princesses could not be present at the
king's parties, at which the countess presided, without
severe mortification, yet all frankly confessed their admi-
ration of her beauty, elegance, and good-nature ; and
when, in 1770, Louis asked the dauphine, recently arrived
in France, her opinion of the favourite, who was admitted
at the princess's table, she replied with a tone of con-
viction that she thought her truly bewitching.

Although the coimtess had many enemies, yet, all-

248 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

powerful as she was, and often insulted and outraged,
she was never known to revenge herself, but performed
many acts of benevolence ; and in this respect both
merited and acquired many honourable friends. The
prince of Condd and other noble families sought an alli-
ance with hers ; the duke of Richelieu and the Chancel-
lor Maupeou called her cousine, and the duke of Orleans
consulted her on a marriage which he projected with
Madame de Montesson, desiring to obtain, through her,
the king's consent to that union ; upon which occasion
Madame Dubarri said to him, " Allez, grospere, ^pousez
toujours . . . nous verrons ensuite . . • j'y suis moi-meme
fortement int^ress^e." These words are a sufficient
proof that she hoped herself to be united to Louis XV.
In her elevated state the countess did not forget her
former position, but generously sent for her godfather,
Dumonceau, who had so cruelly abandoned her to her-
self without guidance or good counsel ; the old man
appeared at court, dreading the animosity of his god-
daughter, but she loaded him Avith presents, and appeared
to have forgotten that he had ever acted unkindly to her.
She also entreated pardon for the count and countess
Louerme, who were condemned to death for rebellion ;
the king hesitated on account of the serious nature of
their offence, but she embraced his knees, and appealed
BO pathetically in tlieir fiivour, that the monarcli at length

QUEEN MARIE LECKZIXSKY. 249

raised her, saying, " Madame, je n'oublierai pas la pre-
miere faveur que vous mc demandez." Far from assum-
ing the haughty style of her predecessor, her manners
were always simple, and unostentatious ; her notes of
invitation were usually terminated with these words,
" Sa Majeste m'honorera de sa presence."

Nevertheless she participated in the disgraceful fami-
liarities which Louis XV. authorized in his palace, and
which he encouraged by his example. Her frankness
and thoughtless gaycty greatly delighted the old mon-
arch, whom she was in the habit of calling La France,
and who frequently amused himself by watching the
lively sports in which she joined with the young noble-
men of the court. On one occasion he entered her
apartment unannounced, and found her playing blind-
man's-buff with several of the courtiers, in the midst of
whom was the Chancellor Maupeou in his robes, perform-
ing the part of Colin Maillard. It was by the instiga-
tion of this minister the parliament was exiled in 1771 ;
and who also affixed the seals of the state upon the absurd
brevet of governor of Lucienne, which was given by
Louis XV. to Madame Dubarri's little negro Zamor at
one of her jovial suppers, — the ungrateful negro, whom
it will be necessary to mention hereafter, under much
more serious circumstances. Amongst other follies, one
of the noblemen at court (the duke de Trcsme), who was

150 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

deformed, and an object of the favourite's mirthful rail-
leries, used to inscribe on his visiting cards, "Le sapajou
ie Madame la Comptesse." These familiarities were
eometimes carried to excess ; and Madame Dubarri one
day thoughtlessly seized a packet of sealed papers which
lay on the king's escritoir, and in which she believed
there was a letter written by Monsieur de Broglie in
unfavourable terms of herself; the king endeavoured to
take them from her, but she made him run several times
round the council-chamber, and at length threw the
packet of papers into the fire, when they were immedi-
ately consumed. The irritated monarch pushed her out
of the room without speaking, but the countess threw
herself at his feet, and with tearful eyes entreated his
forgiveness, which was readily accorded.

Although so playful and frolicsome within the palace,
in public Madame Dubarri was extremely reserved,
and at that epoch a reserved exterior was seldom to be
seen, and, when found, was considered a great merit ; in
fact, " s'aimcr sans plaisir, se livrer sans combat, se
quitter sans regrets, trailer le devoir de faiblesse, Ihon-
neur de prejuge, la delicatesse de fadeur ; telles ^taient
les moeurs de ce temps oii la seduction avait son code, et
ou I'immoralite ^tait reduite en principes."

The king conducted the countess Dubarri to all the
royal palaces successively, at each of which he gave

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. . i

superb entertainments in her lionour, and tlie deference
Avhich was paid lier frequently amounted to adulation.
At the camp of Compiegne several regiments rendered
her the militarj honours ■which are due only to princesses
of the royal blood.

She did not suffer these flattering attentions and
splendid recreations to interfere with her duty to her
mother, who lived in retirement in the convent of
Saint Elizabeth, at Paris, under the name of the mar-
chioness de Montrable, to whom she furnished the
means of supporting this borrowed title, and visited
regularly tAvice every month.

Her influence and power excited envy of several ladies
at court, — amongst others, the duchess de Grammont,
sister to the duke de Choiseul, prime minister of France,
who was for some time on very friendly terms with the
countess. The duchess excited the duke de Choiseul
against the favourite, and induced him to endeavour to
persuade the king to dismiss her ; so that, notwithstand-
ing her dislike to business and politics, she was obliged
in self-defence to give her attention to them, and, sus-
tained by the Chancellor Maupeou and the duke d'Aiguil-
lon, as well as her own influence with the king, she suc-
ceeded in causing the duke to be exiled to Chantaloupe
— Louis believing that he not only attempted to inter-
fere with his domestic comfort, but also that he was

252 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

endeavouring to create a war with England. Having,
however, no revengeful feelings, and being an enemy to
every kind of dispute, she soon after permitted him to
return to Versailles at the solicitation of the duchess de
Grammont, but on condition that he should not appear
at court. The duke de Choiseul himself renders justice
to Madame Dubarri in his Memoirs, by remarking that
" cette femme n'dtait pas faite pour connaitre I'exces de
la haine."

The countess Dubarri had nevertheless one ambition,
which was to procure the dissolution of her marriage at
Rome, hoping, like Madame de Maintenon, to be
solemnly united in marriage to Louis XV. ; her chances
of success were more numerous than that lady's, Madame
Dubarri being still young as well as beautiful ; but she
was a stranger to intrigue, without which it was impossi-
ble to obtain an object so difficult. Her hopes in that
respect were repeated to the royal family, whose dislike
to her naturally increased in consequence. She also
had the imprudence to declare in presence of the dau-
phine that none but Frenchwomen possessed graceful
manners ; and that princess could not pardon so great a
breach of politeness. Nevertheless, by her beauty and
amiable manners she maintained her empire over the
monarch and her influence at court, until Louis XV.
was attacked with the small-pox, when, finding his last

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 253

hour approach, and wishing to avoid a repetition of the
occurrences which took place at Metz at the dismissal
of the duchess de Chateauroux, the dying king especially
recommended his favourite to the care of the duchess
d'Aiguillon, and begged her to withdraw her from that
afflicting spectacle ; but Madame Dubarri entreated per-
mission to remain.

A few hours before Louis XV. expired the duchess
d'Aiguillon separated the countess from her royal bene-
factor, and accompanied her to the chateau of Ruel,
where she was informed of the king's death, which occur-
red in the year 1774. It was in this residence that the
duke de la Vrilliere presented her the lettre-de-caehet
which exiled her to the abbey of Pont-aux-Dames near
Meaux. This letter, which was sent her by Louis XVI.,
allowed her but one attendant, and all her correspondence
was subjected to the scrutiny of the abbess of the con-
vent. Confined to the monastery, Madame Dubarri
neither murmured herself nor gave any cause of com-
plaint to her companions, being there, as when at court,
amiable and gentle to all ; but the monotony of the
cloister attacked her temperament and personal appear-
ance. She Avas treated during the early part of the
reign of Louis XVI. with a degree of rigour which was
highly disrespectful to the memory of the late king, but
she nevertheless entertained the same sincere attachment

VOL. II.— 22

^^

254 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

and fidelity for the august family which tyrannized over
her in so contemptible a manner, when decency at least
required that she should remain uninjured.

At length, in 1776, Louis XVI., admiring her resigna-
tion, permitted her to leave her retreat and occupy her
estate of Lucienne ; and the pleasure of being restored
to her friends and the world renewed her health. Her
most intimate associates were Madame Mortemarte and
Madame d'Angivilliers, the painter Lebrun, and the duke
d'Aiguillon. The Emperor Joseph II., during his visit
to Paris, went to visit her at Lucienne, and when walk-
ing in the gardens offered her his arm, which she hesi-
tated to accept ; the emperor insisted courteously, adding,
" La beaut(^, madame, est toujours reine." In her retreat
of Lucienne, Madame Dubarri Avas universally beloved
by her nciglibours of all classes : accompanied by her
young friend the duke of Cossd Brissac, son of the
governor of Paris, she delighted in performing acts of cha-
rity to the poor inhabitants of the surrounding hamlets.

In 1790 France was in revolution, and the countess's
resources were in consequence very much weakened ;
she was therefore obliged to sell a great quantity of her
plate and jewels. One night three men in military
dresses entered her apartment and boldly demanded her
treasures ; terrified, and forbidden on pain of death to
summon assistance, she gave them a jewel-case contain-

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKT. 255

ing valuables to the amount of four hundred thousand
francs, and a purse containing five hundred double louis-
d'ors. This misfortune, however, might have been a
means of safety by ■which Madame Dubarri could have
escaped her destiny, for the theft had been extensively
advertised, and the London papers soon afterwards an-
nounced that the authors of it had been discovered and
arrested in that city. She accordingly repaired to Eng-
land in order to acknowledge and claim her diamonds,
and while in London kindly received and befriended
several of the gardes-du-corps who were wounded in the
royal cause on the 5th and 6th of October, and who had
been obliged to fly from France, and even many emi-
grants who had been her greatest enemies during her
days of triumph.

She would have done well had she remained in that
peaceable country, but her affection for the duke de Bris-
sac, and her wish to assist and console the faithful roy-
alists, induced her to return to France, in opposition to
the advice of Pitt, who was then in the English ministry.

She enjoyed but a few bright days of security after
her return to Lucienne, and those were spent in kind
attentions to the garde-dus-corps who escaped the mas-
sacres ; she gave them an asylum, and paid them un-
ceasing attentions, so that the queen warmly expressed
her thanks. It was on that occasion that Madame

256 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

Dubarri addressed the respectful and affecting letter to
Marie Antoinette, in which with equal delicacy and
generosity she offered her all that she possessed,
not as a gift, but as a restitution. "Ces jeunes
blesses," she wrote, "n'ont d'autres regrets que de
n'etre point morts pour une princesse aussi digne de
tous les hommages que Test votre majesty. Ce que je
fais pour ces braves est bien au-dessous de ce qu'ils meri-
tent. Je les console, et je respecte leurs blessures
quand je songe, madame, que sans leur d^vouement
votre majesty n'existerait peut-etre plus ! Lucienne est
a vous, madame : n'est pas votre bienveillance qui me
I'a rendu ? Tout ce que je possede me vient de la
famille royale ; j'ai trop de reconnaissance pourl'oublier
jamais. Le feu roi, par une sorte de pressentiment, me
for9a d'accepter mille objets prdcieux avant de m'^loigner
de sa personne ; j'ai eu I'honneur de vous offrir ce tresor
du temps des notables ; je vous I'offre encore, madame,
avec empressement. Vous avez tant de d^penses a sou-
tenir, et de bienfaits sans nombre a repandre ! Permet-
tez, je vous en conjure, que je rende a C^sar qu'est a
Cesar."

The queen did not accept her offer, but she was sen-
sibly affected by it, as also at the extreme delicacy with
which it was made, and at the care the countess bestowed

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 257

on those who were wounded and sacrificed for her own
safety and that of her royal husband.

The revolution rapidly advanced, the whole kingdom
was in a state of anarchy, and Madame Dubarri became
an object of suspicion to the committee of Marly, among
the members of which were an Irishman named Grieve,
who coveted her estate of Lucienne, her negro Zamor,
whom she had so long protected and cherished, and
some other domestics not less ungrateful. Twice she
Avas arrested by order of Grieve, and twice pronounced
innocent by the Convention, upon a memorial signed by
the greater number of the citizens of Marly and Lu-
cienne, and by the interference of the chief magistrate
of Lucienne and Goujon.

The charm of Madame Dubarri's last days consisted
in solacing the unfortunate. She was the only consola-
tion of Auguste de Rohan-Chabot, who wrote to her from
prison, " II n'est plus de bonheur qu'avec vous ; venez
voir un mortel qui vous aimera jusqu'ii la fin de sa vie.
Je baise mille fois le portrait de la plus charmante femme
qu'il y ait au monde, et dont Ic coeur si noble et si bon
m^rite un attachement eternel."

One night, Maussobrd, the duke de Brissac's aide-de-
camp, arrived at Lucienne in great distress, and informed
the countess Dubarri tliat the king's troops were dis-
banded, and the duke arrested. She had hardly time to
22 *

258 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

conceal the aide-de-camp before a loud noise was heard,
a detachment of Marseillais penetrated into her dwelling,
and, after having become intoxicated in her cellars,
ransacked the house, and discovered the secret door
which conducted to Maussobr^'s asylum, from which
they drew and pitilessly manacled him. In the mean
time other ruffians arrived, and one of them presented
Madame Dubarri with the head of the unfortunate duke
de Brissac, who had been assassinated at Versailles.
At the sight of it she fell down senseless. The young
commander had both time and opportunity to escape,
but, instead of profiting by them, he employed those
precious moments in writing an affectionate letter to the
countess, and in making his will, in which he bequeathed
her a part of the fortune he inherited from his father.

Grieve seized all her papers, and she was conveyed to
the same chamber that had been occupied by the queen
in the Conciergerie, where, loaded with irons, and await-
ing her own destiny, she had the last melancholy conso-
lation of learning that Lavallerie, the chief magistrate
of Versailles, had precipitated himself into the Seine,
from the despair of not having had it in his power to
save her. When taken before the Revolutionary Tribu-
nal, she offered to give up all her wealth ; but Grieve
and Zamor, who had taken possession of the chateau at
Lucienne, declared that she corresponded with several

QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY. 259

emigrants ; that they had found the portraits of Louis
XV., the regent, and Anne of Austria in her possession,
and moreover that the English minister Pitt was inte-
rested in her.

During her trial, in which she was sustained by the
presence of her courageous advocate Cheveau-Lagarde,
she replied to the interrogatories of the president Dumas
with precision and coolness. After summing up the evi-
dence, the president concluded with these words : "La
conspiratrice qui est devant vous pouvait, au sein de
Topulence acquise par ses charmes, vivre heureuse dans
une patrie oii etait enseveli avec son amant le souvenir
de sa prostitution ; mais la liberte du peuple ^tait un
malheur a ses yeux ; il fallait qu'elle fut toujours esclave,
et qu'elle rampat encore sous des maitres."

Convicted of corresponding ^"ith the enemies of the
republic, she was condemned to death, and her goods
declared to be the property of the nation in 1793. On
hearing her doom pronounced, she fainted, and was car-
ried to her prison in a state of insensibility.

Although encouraged by the exhortations and example
of several of her companions in misfortune, the countess
uttered such lamentable cries, that the officers were
obliged to quicken the speed of the vehicle which con-
veyed the condemned party, lest her piteous exclama-
tions should excite the compassion of the people. At

260 QUEEN MARIE LECKZINSKY.

the last moment her senses appeared to forsake her ; she
entreated the executioner for a little delay in a suppli-
cating tone ; but he seized her bj her arms, forcibly
inclined her head, and, before the unhappy countess
could invoke the Supreme pity, it rolled on the scaifold.

Thus did this celebrated favourite expiate her ephe-
meral prosperity and her faults, which were of a nature
to render her name odious, but which in all probability
would never have been committed had she possessed one
friend to preserve her from the temptations which beset
the path of her youth.

The count d'Allonville, who saw her after the death
of Louis XV., remarks, in his " Memoires Secrets,'"
that, prejudiced against her, his first motive for visiting
her was curiosity, but that interest soon succeeded to it ;
that on examination he could not reconcile that which
he had heard of her and that which her countenance
announced ; there was no trace of her former condition
or mode of life in the decency of her tone or the noble-
ness and refinement of her manners and deportment,
which were equally free from pride and humility, license
and prudery, and that the sight of her alone almost re-
futed all that had been published against her.

It is to be regretted that Madame Dubarri's courage
failed her in her last moments, at the period when so
many victims of her own sex so eminently distinguished

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 261

themselves. But this "weakness would not perhaps have
been so remarkable, had it not been for the astonishing
heroism of the Frenchwomen at this disastrous epoch.

Before she became acquainted with Louis XV. she
had one daughter, to whom she gave a dower of a hun-
dred thousand francs, and married her to a gentleman
who possessed neither wealth nor noble birth. This lady
is the mother of two children, with one of whom (her
daughter) she resides at MUnich ; the other is a major-
general in the Russian service, under the title of the
marquis de Boissason.

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

(Reign of Louis XVI.)

Marie Antoinette Josephine Jane de Lorraine,
daughter of Francis I., emperor of Germany, and of the
empress Marie Th^rese, queen of Hungary and Bohemia,
was born at Vienna, on the day of the great earthquake
at Lisbon, in 1755. Her mother paid great attention
to her education, and appointed the celebrated Abbd
Metastasio to teach her Italian, Gluck to give her lessons
in music, and the Abbd Vcrmond to instruct her in the
language of that country of which she was destined to
be the sovereign.

262 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

At the time of her husband's accession, the revolution
was preparing. Louis XVI., who was a liberal, and a
partisan of reasonable reform, endeavoured to ameliorate
the condition of the people ; but their movements were
too rapid. Ambition reigned in all hearts and anarchy
in all heads ; they had no guides but their momentary
interests and disorderly passions, and were totally blind
to events which were equally near and disastrous. The
finances, which had been exhausted by the pomp of Louis
XIV. and the culpable extravagance of Louis XV., were
a sore which could be healed only by sacrifices on the part
of the nobility and clergy ; but these sacrifices were not
made, and the monarchy was overturned. In vain Louis
XVI. endeavoured to improve the condition of his unfor-
tunate inheritance by imposing domestic privations on
himself and his family ; his single efforts were insufficient,
and they were not seconded. One of his relations, whose
susceptibility the monarch had involuntarily wounded, and
an eloquent and ambitious orator, disseminated destruc-
tive principles throughout a nation then but indifferently
enlightened, and consequently credulous, as well as eager
after novelty. These were the principal causes of that
impetuous movement which carried all before it amidst
bloodshed and ruin, but which eventually produced great
men and great events. It was to occupy this difficult
position that Mario Antoinette renounced tlie peaceful

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 263

palace of her fathers, -when Choiseul, prime minister of
France, wishing to consolidate the peace between France
and Germany, and, above all, to secure to himself the
favour of the approaching reign, conceived the project of
uniting the grandson of Louis XV. to the daughter of
the illustrious Marie Therese. Nevertheless there were
many in France who objected to an alliance with the house
of Austria, and the Princess Adelaide strongly opposed
the union of her nephew with the archduchess ; but the
views of the minister having prevailed, the young prin-
cess was asked in marriage by the duke de Rohan, in the
name of the dauphin.

In 1770, at the age of fifteen, Marie Antoinette was
conducted to Kehl, where she was met by the dignitaries
who were charged to receive her, as also the duchesses
de Cosse and de Noailles, ladies of honour. Louis XV.
proceeded with a brilliant cortege to Compiegne, where
the young dauphin and his affianced wife first met. The
marriage was celebrated in the chapel of Versailles, and
Louis the XV. gave the dauphine many rich presents,
among others the necklace of large pearls that Anne of
Austria bequeathed to the queens of France. Prepara-
tions Avere made for magnificent fetes in Paris, but a
sinister omen plunged the royal family into great con-
sternation, in consequence of the scaffolding Avhich was
erected for the purpose of the fireworks having taken fire.

264 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

This event threw great confusion into the immense crowd
that was assembled on the occasion, who, terrified, and
pressed by the carriages that had no egress, were preci-
pitated into the issues of the Place Louis XV., which had
been left uncovered in the Rue Royale, when three hun-
dred pei'sons were either trodden under foot or suffocated.
The dauphin and his bride, Avho arrived from Versailles
gay and happy at the time the catastrophe occurred, were
sensibly afflicted by it, and could find no consolation for
this disastrous event but in personally conveying succour
to the wounded and dying. It was in the performance
of these kindly actions that the young dauphine first made
herself the object of universal idolatry. Foreigners as
well as Frenchmen have rendered her sincere and just
homage, although some of the elder courtiers, enemies
of Austria, and the dauphin's aunts especially, spied and
criticised her actions with much acrimony. The cele-
brated Burke, in speaking of her, thus expresses him-
self: " It is now sixteen or eighteen years since I saw
the queen of France (then dauphine) at Versailles ; a
more celestial apparation never shone on this orbit, which
she scarcely appeared to touch. She glittered like the
morning star, full of life, brilliancy and happiness." Sir
William 'AVraxall also, in speaking of this princess, said,
"In the summer of 1776, when I left France, Marie
Antoinette had attained the highest degree of her beauty

QUEEN MAFJE ANTOINETTE. 265

and prosperity. Iler euloglum -svas in every mouth, from
the courtier to the shop-keeper, and La Harpe did but
echo the public voice, when he composed her portrait in
the following verses : —

" 'Le ciel met dans ses traits cet eclat qu'on admire.
France, il la couronna pour tafelicite.
Uu sceptre est inutile avec tant de beaute,
Mais a, tant de vertus il fallait un empire.' "

One of her first acts as queen, in 1774, exhibited the
natural generosity of her disposition. Monsieur de Pon-
tecoulant, major of the gardes-du-corps, bad previously
given her some offence, and consequently, on the acces-
sion of Louis XVI., considered it necessary to tender his
resignation; but Marie Antoinette obliged him to with-
draw it, saying, " La reine ne se souvient des qucrellcs
de la dauphine, et c'est moi qui prie Monsieur de Ponte-
coulant de no plus songer a ce que j'ai oubli^." She also
generously renounced a tax which had been paid by the
nation on the accession of each queen, from time imme-
morial, and known under the name of the Ceinture de la
Reine; after which the poets said with truth, that, pos-
sessed of the girdle of Venus, any other was unnecessary.

Marie Antoinette was not decidedly beautiful when
her features were examined separately ; her attractions
consisted in the expression of the ensemble, in the ele-
gance of her form, the brilliancy of her complexion, the

VOL. II. — 23

266 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

lightness of her step, the dignity of her deportment,
and the grace which accompanied her smallest move-
ments. Her hair was light, her eyes blue, her nose
aquiline, and her mouth small ; but the lower lip was
prominent, — a fault which was characteristic of the
princes of her family. She was not possessed of much
talent; nevertheless she charmed those with whom she
conversed, because the purity of her thoughts furnished
her with appropriate expressions.

She could not endure flattery, and would never listen
to scandal, for she considered it a duty to forget injuries,
and an enjoyment to do good. Naturally simple, Marie
Antoinette did not like the artificial manners of the
court. She called Madame de Noailles, her dame dlion-
neur, 3Iadame V Etiquette. "Nous aimons," says a
contemporary writer, "la voir tantot se promener a
Marly, au lever de I'aurore, avec le jeune due de Char-
tres ; tantot allant a, l'op6'a en fiacre ; une autre fois
respirant I'air frais de la nuit, et daignant causer sous
le voile de I'incognito avec un commis de la guerre." But
the queen was surrounded with secret enemies, who blamed
her for not preserving a more dignified exterior and sub-
mitting to the exigencies of her rank. Doubtless the
simplicity of her taste was praiseworthy, but, exposed
to the bitter remarks and criticisms of the court, she

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 267

should not have discarded the customs of the royal
residence.

After her accession to the throne, she founded an
hospital for the aged and poor at Versailles, and, in 1778,
another for poor lying-in women, although she received
only four hundred thousand francs a year, the same as
Louis XIV. 's Vf'ife ; hut the value of money had greatly
decreased since the time of Marie Therese. Among
other acts of Marie Antoinette's benevolence, history
mentions the erection of twelve cottages at Versailles,
in which she placed twelve poor families, whom she sup-
ported and frequently visited.

In 1778, after a marriage of eight years, the queen
gave birth to Madame Royale, who afterwards married
the son of Charles X. ; but she had hardly tasted of
maternal joy when she lost her mother, the illustrious
Maria Th^rcse, and was so much afflicted at the event,
that she was attacked with a serious illness, which con-
fined her to her apartment for some time. The birth
of the dauphin, which occurred in 1781, consoled her for
the loss of her parent, and from that time she became
interested in political affairs, and exercised her influence
over the king and her brother the emperor Joseph II.,
to prevent a war from breaking out between France and
Austria.

None rc\Joiced more cordially in the glory which

2G8 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

France, in the opinion of her people, acquired by the
American war, than Marie Antoinette ; tliose wlio had
distinguished themselves were nobly received and warmly
welcomed by her; amongst others, Lafayette and Lameth,
one of whom was indebted to her for a wealthy marriage,
and the other for the commission of a general officer.

The queen has, however, been severely reproached
because her circle of acquaintance was too circumscribed ;
she had chosen an intimate society in which all wished
to join, and jealousy and hatred were the consequence.
The good Marie Leckzinsky had also her circle of ac-
quaintance, amongst whom were the count de Tessan,
the president Hainault, and some other persons of talent,
and none ventured to find fault with her ; but that ne-
glected queen lived in a time when the sovereign and
court were spoken of with timid respect, and that time
no longer existed. Marie Antoinette was on terms of
close intimacy with the princess de Lamballe, and the
duchess de Polignac, whose husband annually received
two hundred and ninety-two thousand francs from the
treasury of the state, although it was so much involved*
With these friends the queen amused herself by giving
domestic fetes, sledge-racing, evening concerts, family
excursions to balls and the opera, and private theatricals
in which the noblemen and ladies of the court performed.
Malevolence misconstrued these diversions, and gave a

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 269

false colouring to amusements which were perfectly in-
nocent ; her enemies declared that her dislike to etiquette
arose from a wish to veil her conduct, which she feared
to expose. Perhaps during the early part of her mar-
riage she did not display much warmth of affection for
Louis XVI., who devoted most of his time to the educa-
tion of his children, the chase, and mechanical works ;
but maternal love and friendship filled the heart of Marie
Antoinette, and notwithstanding the many insinuations
that have been circulated against her by her numerous
calumniators, there is no foundation for one of them.

By her marriage contract she was to have a private
establishment of her own, as many of the queens of
France had before her, especially Catherine and ISIarie
de Medicis, who built and resided, the former in the
Tuileries, and the latter in tlie Luxembourg. To
provide Marie Antoinette with a palace of her own,
five million francs were given for the estate of Saint
Cloud ; and if this acquisition was a fault, consider-
ing the condition of the finances, it must be imputed
to the minister Colonne, who deceived her in respect of
the resources of the treasury. Her extravagances have
been spoken of by her enemies, but none about her were
more simply attired ; and the charge of her having sent
money to her family is equally absurd, because their

finances were in a much more flourishing condition than
90 *

270 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

those of France. Her habits were far from luxurious ;
she was never known to gamble, and seldom made any
acquisitions of furniture or equipages.

One of the accusations brought against her at the
Revolutionary Tribunal was, that at Trianon her bed
was composed of white damask satin, which had been
formerly occupied by Madame Dubarri, and was, more-
over, very antiquated. Such is the testimony of those
who were near the queen's person and had opportunities
of witnessing her actions ; but the general mind was
hostile to her ; she was accused of too great an attach-
ment to Austria, and reproached for the treaty which
was signed in 1785 between Joseph II. and the United
States, through the mediation of France, which agreed to
pay the emperor four millions and a half of florins, with
the view of avoiding a general war. The people were
witness to the amount sent, but malevolence doubled the
sum.

Another unfortunate circumstance occurred to lend
arms to malignity ; and the episode of the diamond neck-
lace, which was a notorious fraud effected in the queen's
name, augmented the number of her enemies. This
event, which proved so fruitful in its results, Avas the
effect of an intriguing woman's baseness, the underhand
dealings of some persons who were near the throne, tlie
shortsightedness of the court, and, above all, the incon-

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 271

ceivable prejudices wliieli the people entertained against
a princess endowed with qualities which would have ren-
dered her an object of love, had they been appreciated.

Boehmer and Bassange, the jewellers of the crown,
after having collected a great number of very valuable
diamonds, composed a necklace the worth of which was
enormous : in 1785 they offered it to the queen for the
sum of sixteen hundred thousand francs ; she expressed
her admiration of its beauty, but unhesitatingly replied
that she would rather that the king armed two vessels
of the line with that amount than spend it on a neck-
lace ; it being the epoch in which America was struggling
for her independence.

The cardinal prince de Rohan, who entertained culpa-
ble sentiments for Marie Antoinette, had displeased her
by a correspondence in which he had treated the empress
Marie Th^rese with disrespect, and, wishing to recover
the queen's favour, had the imprudence to confide the
secret of his passion to the wife of one of the gardes-
du-corps, named Lamotte, who pretended to have been
descended from the family of Valois. This woman was
the daughter of a man who was plunged in vice as well
as misery from the effects of his profligate habits, and
had been dismissed from a corps of gendarmes to which
he belonged for having negotiated false letters of ex-
change. In order to dupe the cardinal, Madame Lamotte

272 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

flattered his pride, persuaded liim that she had private
interviews with the queen on secret affairs, and informed
him that the queen was desirous of procuring the neck-
hice without the king's knowledge. The cardinal seized
the occasion of performing the queen a service by secretly
procuring an object worthy of her, and negotiated the
affair with Boehmer. He accordingly presented the jew^-
eller with a document containing a promise of partial
payment at stated periods, which the queen was to pro-
cure by economies on her own annuity, and which pro-
missory note "was given him by Madame Lamotte, and
signed 3Iarie Antoinette by an accomplice of that lady
named Retaux de Villette. The valuable necklace was
therefore deposited in the hands of the prelate, who com-
missioned his confidante to convey it to the queen, whom
she pretended to have frequent interviews with, and
promised, on receiving it, to procure one for him. The
necklace had no sooner fallen into her hands than this
perfidious woman broke it, and sent her husband to Eng-
land with the diamonds, for which he obtained a consi-
derable sum of money. A short time after Madame
Lamotte, who was born in indigence, and possessed
nothing, astonished her acquaintance by her luxury and
extravagance.

In the mean time the cardinal de Rohan expected to
be recompensed with the promised interview for his ser-

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 273

vices in the affair, and Madame Lamotte was therefore
obliged to continue the intrigue. The queen "was fre-
quently in the habit of taking evening ^yalks, and giving
fetes champetres in the gardens of Trianon, which were
illuminated on those occasions, and was always accom-
panied by those persons whom she honoured with her
intimacy. At one of these evening diversions Madame
Lamotte placed a young lady named Oliva in an obscure
grove, and promised her fifteen thousand francs if she
would personate the queen ; she then announced to the
cardinal in a mysterious manner that her majesty would
grant him an interview, and on this first occasion
would only present him her hand. The delighted cardi-
nal suffered himself to be conducted to an isolated part of
the gardens, where a closely veiled woman presented her
hand to him with dignity ; the prelate kissed it with
transport, when she made a sign for him to retire, after
pronouncing these words in a low tone of voice : " Vous
pouvez esperer que le passd sera oublie."

Nevertheless the favours with which the cardinal had
been decoyed were not renewed, and he was consuming
himself with vain hopes, when the time for the denoue-
ment of this deplorable intrigue arrived ; the term
assigned for the payment of the necklace having passed
unnoticed, the jewellers sent a memorial to ^Slarie Antoi-
nette supplicating for a part of the money. Tlie asto-

274 QUEEN MziRIE ANTOINETTE.

nished queen instantly commanded their presence, and
they assisted in explaining the odious plot. She imme-
diately repaired to the king's apartment, and demanded
justice for the injury that had been done her by cardinal
de Rohan. This prelate had just concluded his daily
functions as grand almoner at Versailles, and was still
clad in his pontifical robes, when summoned before the
monarch. The queen challenged him to speak the truth
with just and energetic indignation : " Monsieur le Car-
dinal," she said, "mettez la main sur la conscience, et
dites si ce n'est pas depuis quatre ans la premiere fois
que je vous parle ?" Summoned to reply, the cardinal
avowed his error, and tremblingly declared how he had
been deceived by the countess Lamotte Valois. He was
immediately arrested and conveyed to the Bastille, but
before his papers were secured he had sufficient time to
give orders in German to his Hungarian valet to burn
several, which he designated to him. Madame Lamotte
avowed her crime, and the parliament acquitted the car-
dinal in 1786 : Retaux de Villette was condemned to
banishment ; Lamotte to the gallows ; and his v>'ife to be
scourged, branded with a hot iron, and to spend the
remainder of her days in solitary imprisonment.

This event did not in the least diminish the confidence
which Louis XVL had in his wife, but it left profound
and serious traces on the public mind, under the political

QUEEN MArjE ANTOINETTE. 275

circumstances in which France was at that time placed.
All Europe was interested in the miserable affair, though
the innocence of the queen was not for a moment doubted
by upright individuals ; and that which appears really
inconceivable in this swindling transaction is, that, after
the authors of it were found guilty by their own avowal
as well as by the fruits of their theft, it should have been
still considered necessary to exculpate the queen from an
accusation the nature of which alone rendered it quite
absurd : but the affair of the diamond necklace Avas for
Marie Antoinette one of those inevitable fatalities which
accompanied her from m.isfortune to misfortune, until her
last moment.

After this unfortunate event the queen, who was sur-
rounded with enemies, and basely persecuted by an ambi-
tious faction, lost so much respect and consideration that
a woman well bred, but not noble, to whom Marie Antoi-
nette inconsiderately applied for some information rela-
tive to a course of suppers she was giving, presumed to
invite her to join them. It was doubtless an act arising
from deplorable ignorance, but a party took notice of
the circumstance for the purpose of auguring the most
injurious suspicions against the innocent queen, whose
momentary thoughtlessness drew on her this insolent
proposition.

In 1789 the queen received some marks of public

27G QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

homage on the opening of the States General, but the
voices that were friendly to her were soon drowned by
indignities and menaces which wounded her pride with-
out destroying her courage.

The report of her injuries resounded throughout
Europe, and the queen of Naples, and her brother the
Emperor Joseph II., entreated her to escape from the
dangers which they foresaw. Though many of her cour-
tiers had already emigrated, Marie Antoinette would not
follow their example, but steadfastly refused to quit the
king, and decided on fulfilling her duties of wife and
mother, however serious the result. In one of her let-
ters to her brother, Joseph II., she remarked that " a
good and fond mother" (which she herself was in an
eminent degree) "has no country but the one in which
the fate of her children is necessarily fixed."

In the midst of the political agitations of the year
1789 she lost the dauphin ; the death of the Princess
Sophie Il^l^ne in 1787 had already decreased the num-
ber of her children. Her afilictions were also augmented
by the departure of her friend the duchess de Polignac.
This lady was elegant in manners, modest in deport-
ment, and of excellent reputation. Her numerous
charms interested the queen, who became fondly attached
to her, and this friendship between two women worthy
of one another ended but with death. Their afi"ection

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 277

Tvas increased by the duchess having accepted the place
of governess to the rojal children, which charge she
executed with the utmost confidence. Her house was in
a manner the queen's house, for it was there that that
august princess's circle of friends were most frequently
in the habit of associating.

A favourite is always considered a political enemy,
and Madame de Polignac, like her friend, was calum-
niated ; moreover, she was accused of having too great
an influence over political afiairs and the nomination of
appointments. After the insurrection of the 14th of
July, in which Polignac and Sombreuil had been insulted
and attacked in the gardens of the Palais Royal by the
multitude, and had succeeded in putting several to flight,
the queen trembled for her friend, who was personally
designated for the poniards of the assassins, and whom
she expected the king would be called upon to give up
to their revolutionary judgment. She therefore sent for
the duchess on the day following, and entreated her to
fly during the night. Madame de Polignac obstinately
refused to do so, declaring that she would share the fate
of Marie Antoinette, who, shedding torrents of tears,
said to her, " To-morrow the king goes to Paris, and if
they ask him ! . . . I have everything to dread for you I
... In the name of friendship, fly while there is yet
time ! Remember that you arc a mother;" and the king

VOL, II, — 24

278 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

having entered at the moment, she added, " Come, sire,
assist me in persuading my faithful friends that they
must leave us."

The king seized the hand of the duke, Avho had accom-
panied his wife, o,nd said, "Yes, follow the queen's coun-
sel : it must be so ; I beg it of you, and if it is necessary,
I command you." They accordingly obeyed, and at
midnight, when the duchess de Polignac was ready for
her departure, she received the following short note
from the queen : " Adieu, la plus tendre des amies ....
Que ce mot est aifreux ; mais il est necessaire ....
Adieu! je n'ai que la force de vous embrasser." Thus
was dissolved the most tender and pure of habitual con-
nexions, which had existed for the space of fifteen years.

The court became melancholy and silent, and Marie
Antoinette's hair whitened with the effects of fear
and sorrow ; nevertheless, adversity gave her prudence,
but never diminished her courage. To increase the
evils, scarcity arrived, and that was also attributed to
the monarch. The queen, whose only pleasure con-
sisted in her correspondence with her brother, Joseph II.,
and the duchess de Polignac, lost even that gratification,
for she was too closely watched to be enabled any longer
to communicate with her friend, and death robbed her
of the emperor. The only devoted friend that remained
to her was the good and beautiful princess de Lamballe,
wlio left Aix-la-Chapelle to console Marie Antoinette for

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 279

the absence of her other exiled favourite. In vain those
who were attached to her threw themselves on their knees
and endeavoured to dissuade her from going to Versailles.
"La reine me desire," she replied; "je dois vivre et
mourir pres d'elle." The atrocious details of the assas-
sination of this devoted and noble princess are too well
known.

The revolution ripened rapidly, and the royal residence
was menaced by an immense number of intoxicated men
and women armed with pikes, who assembled at Paris,
and proceed to attack Versailles. General Lafayette
followed them at the head of eight thousand men of the
National Guard, but appeared too late to paralyze the
efforts of the assassins, who had already taken possession
of the courts of the chateau. Enclosed in their palace
with a small number of faithful servants, the royal family
were for ten hours defended by the courage of the gardes-
du-corps, who patiently endured injuries and blows which
the kinj: forbade them to return. The rioters soon found
their way into the palace, loudly demanding the head of
the Austrian. Two of the gardes-du-corps, named Du
Repaire and De Miomandre, defended the door of the
queen's chamber, and by their courageous and prolonged
resistance gave her time to take refuge in the king's
apartment. At length the unhappy Louis XVL, seeing
the extreme danger of his position, was desirous of send-

280 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

ing his wife and children out of the country, but Marie
Antoinette refused to abandon him.

In 1790 the royal family were forced to quit Ver-
sailles and proceed to Paris under an escort of upwards
of thirty thousand individuals armed with swords, cut-
lasses, halberds, and even sticks ; and during the jour-
ney, which lasted seven hours, they constantly held up on
pikes before the queen's eyes the heads of the gardes-
du-corps who had perished in the service of her family ;
while intoxicated women, seated on cannons, with dis-
hevelled hair and disordered dresses, sang obscene songs,
and addressed insulting language to her. Marie
Antoinette displayed much dignity and courage through-
out this trying scene ; she sat holding the dauphin on
her knee, endeavouring to soothe his terrors, but without
the power to give him the bread he asked for. Never-
theless, when the judges of the Chatelet interrogated
her respecting the offences which were committed^n her
sight, she replied, " J'ai tout vu, et tout oubli^."

Confined in the Tuilcries as in a prison, the queen
devoted herself to the education of her children, and
endeavoured to strengthen those family ties which she
foresaw would soon be broken. At length the king,
who had lost all hope of preserving his throne, yielding
to the wishes of his devoted friends, who had contrived
a method of retreat, consented, in ITOl, to quit France

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 281

secretly, and seek an asylum for Lis unhappy family iu
some strange but more hospitable land. Accidental
circumstances, however, and the treachery of perfidious
servants, prevented the completion of their projects.
The king and queen were stopped at Varennes and taken
back prisoners to the Tuileries, after which they were
incessantly guarded by their enemies. Marie Antoinette
was not even free in her own chamber, the door of which
she -was not suffered to close, in order that all her move-
ments within might be observed.

In this extremity, the queen, penetrated with the idea
that a new species of government was requisite for a
people so suddenly changed, and convinced that the roy-
alists were more injurious than beneficial to their cause,
judged that the only hope of salvation for her family
was in the heads of the faction into whose hands the
power had passed. In the mean time Mirabeau had ad-
dressed himself to the king's brother, who rejected his
offer ; he then applied directly to the king, who gave him
a vague reply, but at length, at the queen's instigation,
decided on meeting him at midnight at Saint Cloud, where
Louis XVI. had permission to reside for a short period
at the close of the year 1790.

Mirabeau, fearing a well-merited vengeance, hesitated
at first to proceed to this rendezvous, which he had him-
self solicited ; ho, however, finally determined upon going,
24 *

282 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

and, in order to cover the interview with an impenetra-
ble veil, was accompanied only by his nephew Saillant,
whom he left in his cabriolet at one of the exterior gates,
after regulating their watches, giving him a letter for the
commandant of the Parisian national guard, and address-
ing him thus : " I am ignorant Avhether they intend to
deal fairly by me or to assassinate me ; if, therefore, I
do not return in one hour, leave instantly with all speed,
deliver this letter as addressed, cause the tocsin to be
sounded, and announce the perfidy of the court to the
people." The hour passed, and Saillant grew very uneasy
about his uncle ; he, however, waited a quarter of an hour
longer, and then turned his horse's head slowly towards
Paris, each moment stopping, looking, and listening : at
length he heard himself called ; it was by Mirabeau, who
exclaimed, " I tremble from the fear that you had left !
... I am content ; all will go well. Preserve the most
profound silence upon this step, which is most important
to the salvation of the state." Had Saillant strictly
obeyed his uncle, the popular rage would doubtless have
caused the assassination of all the royal family that night.
In this important interview tlie powerful Mirabeau agreed
to take part in the monarchy, but unfortunately he died
before he had fulfilled his engagement, and his pre-
mature death has given rise" to a suspicion that he came
by it unfairly.

QUEEN MAPJE ANTOINETTE. 283

After the death of Mirabeau, general Dumouriez was
desirous of taking the helm of affairs, and even thre^y
himself on his knees before the queen, entreating her to
be guided by him, but she had not sufficient confidence
in him.

In 1792 another violent insurrection broke out, in
which the gates of the Tuileries were forced by a crowd
of insulting murderers ; some faithful servants placed
the royal family behind a rampart of tables and benches,
in front of which were ranged a few 2;rcnadiers of the
battalion of the Filles Saint Thomas, who turned aside
the weapons of the assassins. They, however, went
sufficiently near to the king's person to place a red cap
with a tri-coloured cockade* on his head, and, as each
moved past, the unhappy queen was obliged to hear gross
and vulgar songs, and to endure the sight of indecent
emblems which they held before her eyes. The unfor-
tunate monarch and his family remained close prisoners
in the Tuileries until the 10th of April in the same year ;
when, after the victory of the Marseillais, they were led
over the bleeding corpses of their last faithful servants,

* During the revolutionary clianges a ivhitc cockaJc was assumed
by the partisans of the count d'Artois; ?•«/ was added by those of
the duke of Orleans ; and when Louis XVI. was compelled to adopt
those colours he affixed blue in honour of royalty ; which combination
was the origin of the tri-coloured cockade. — Allonvjlle.

284 QUEEN MAKIE ANTOINETTE.

and quitted their ransacked palace never more to re-en-
ter it.

Conducted to the Legishitive Assembly to be interro-
gated and hear their sentence pronounced, the royal fa-
mily ■were present three successive days at these painful
debates, never leaving the logographers' box, in which
they were confined, before night. Transferred from
thence to the tower of the Temple, the last residence of
Louis XVI., Marie Antoinette was once more tormented
in her captivity by constant spies, Clery, their one
faithful domestic, was often indisposed, and at those pe-
riods the queen and Madame Elizabeth were obliged to
make the beds for the family, perform the domestic du-
ties, and on more than one occasion repair the only coat
the king possessed, while he slept.

Almost deprived of air in their obscure prison, they
sometimes descended into a closely-walled garden, but
in doing so were obliged to pass through the midst of a
double hedge of guards, who purposely made indelicate
remarks and blew tobacco-smoke in the faces of the
princesses. At length, to debar the queen from this
melancholy walk, they presented her with the head of
Madame de Lamballe fixed on the end of a pike.

Confined to the sepulchral calm of their prison, the
king and queen, still dignified in their chains, lightened
their captivity by instructing their children and prepar-

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 235

ing their own minds for the approaching change which
thej felt convinced was inevitable. The details of the
captive existence of these royal prisoners are equally
afflicting and edifying, and afford that most useful of all
instruction, the knowledge of how to die. It has been
remarked by a contemporary, who had several opportuni-
ties of judging, that " Louis XVI. sur la trone fut un
bon roi; mais Louis XVI. captif fut sublime."

While united, the unhappy family endured their suffer-
ings more calmly by sharing them ; but this consolation
was not long allowed them, for the king was transferred
to another chamber, and never again suffered to see the
beloved partakers of his sorrows except to bid them an
eternal adieu. The only communication they had was
by writing in the night, and affixing the letters to a pin-
cushion, which was lowered from the upper story window
by a piece of thread ; but this last resource was pro-
hibited, and the commune ordered that they should be
deprived of all means of communication or self-destruc-
tion, so that Madame Elizabeth, when repairing their
clothes, was obliged to cut the thread with her teeth.

The 21st of January, 1793, put a term to the misfor-
tunes of Louis XVI., who obtained permission to see his
wife and children, when he tenderly and affectionately
bade them farewell. His place of execution was the
Place Louis XV., between the Tuileries and the Champs

286 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

Elys^es, which was chosen in remembrance of the mis-
fortune which occurred there on the day of his marriage.
He took off his coat himself, and his hands were imme-
diately seized by the executioner : not prepared for that
act of violence, ho endeavoured to repulse him, but his
good friend and confessor the Abb^ Edgeworth prevented
him with this remark : " Sire, this indignity is one more
trait of resemblance between your majesty and the Sa-
viour, who will recompense your patience and long suf-
ferings." Louis immediately offered his hands to be
bound, and mounted the scaffold with a firm step ; at
the same moment the Abbe Edgeworth made this con-
solinj: exclamation : " Fils de Saint Louis, rnontez au
del." The king turned towards the people, and cried
with a loud voice, " Fran^ais, je meurs innocent de tons
les crimes qu'on m'a imputds. Je pardonne a mes enne-
mis, et je prie Dieu qu'il leur pardonne. Je souhaite
que ma mort . . ." He could say no more, for the fe-
rocious Santerre ordered the drums to strike up for the
purpose of drowning his voice, and the savage acclama-
tions that followed informed the queen of the consumma-
tion of the regicide.

After the execution of the king, Marie Antoinette
was separated from her family, and could not even obtain
permission to visit her son when ill. The young prince
was confided to the care of mercenary persons, who

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. 287

treated him great brutality ; and the queen, who declared
that nothing but death should separate her from her son,
vras violently torn from him and conducted her to the
Conciergcrie, Avherc she awaited her judgment in a damp
dungeon, and was guarded incessantly night and day by
two gendarmes, from whom she was separated by a screen
only.

In October, 1793, she was brought to trial, and during
the debates, which lasted seventy-three hours, preserved
all her dignity and coolness : her replies were simple,
noble, and precise ; but the victim was designed for the
guillotine, and could not therefore be saved by either
justice, compassion, or the courageous pleading of her
defenders, Chaveau-Lagarde and Tronson de Coudray,
Avho faithfully fulfilled their perilous office. Condemned
to death on the IGth of October, 1793, by a unanimous
vote, Marie xVntoinette calmly listened to her doom, and
preluded the execution of it by cutting off her hair.
Dressed in wliite, with her hands bound, she was placed
on the fatal cart in company with a priest and the exe-
cutioner, and while proceeding to the place Louis XV.,
was subjected to the insults of the populace.

"This, madarae," said the pi'iest, "is the moment in
which you must arm yourself with courage."

"Courage!" slie replied: "I have been so long
apprenticed to it, that there is little probability of its

288 QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE.

failing me at this moment." After casting lier eyes
mournfullj towards the royal palace of the Tuileries,
she mounted the scaffold Avith precipitation, and, kneel-
ing down, said, " Lord, enlighten and soften the hearts
of my executioners. Adieu for ever, my children ; I
go to rejoin your father." She then looked down proudly
and calmly on the people who surrounded her, and the
next moment her life and many sorrows were ended at
the age of thirty-eight.

Her body, which was thrown into the same pit that
contained her husband's, in the cemetery of the Made-
line, was covered with quick-lime, in order that her
remains might be speedily consumed, but some of her
bones, which were discovered in 1815, were transferred
to the royal tomb of Saint Denis.

Marie Antoinette had four children — Maria Theresa
Charlotte, born in 1778, now duchess d'Angouleme ; the
Dauphin Louis, who was born in 1781 and died in 1780 ;
Charles Louis, duke of Normandy, born in 1785, and
Avho, after the death of his father, was known, during his
short existence, as Louis XVII. ; and a daughter who
died in her infancy.

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 289

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

(Reign of Napoleon Bonapai-te.)

Marie Rose Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie,
daughter of a liiglily respectable family of Martinique,
was born at Saint Pierre, in that Island, in the year
17G8, where she resided with her mother on the estate
of her aunt, Madame Renaudin, who entertained great
affection for her, and devoted much attention to her edu-
cation. At an early age she was united to the Viscount
Alexandre de Beauharnais, then a major in the French
army, and son of the governor-general of the Carribean
Islands, whose property adjoined that of Monsieur de
Renaudin. The young officer had formed a previous at-
tachment, but was obliged to yield to the wishes of his
family, and, although Josephine loved him sincerely, he
gave her serious occasion for jealousy, which she at first
complained of with gentleness, but, finding that, instead
of changing his conduct, he publicly admitted his passion
for the woman who was destroying her happiness,
Madame de Beauharnais reproached him with bitterness,
which served only to increase the distance between
them.

On arriving at Paris, Josephine was presented at court,
where her grace and amiability rendered her an object

VOL. II. — 25

290 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

of interest and affection to many, but the estrangement
that existed between herself and the viscount, added to
the declining health of her mother, decided her to sacri-
fice the triumphs of self-love to filial affection, and accord-
ingly in 1787 she returned to Martinique, and remained
in that colony until the year 1791, when the insurrections
that broke out there obliged her to return to the metro-
polis of France, ■which was not more peaceful.

The rank of general commanding in chief, which her
husband had obtained, as well as that of a president of
the Assemblee Constituante, gave Madame de Beauhar-
nais considerable importance and influence, which she ex-
erted towards assisting many unfortunate persons, and
saving many from the scaflfold.

During the revolution. General Beauharnais embraced
the new ideas which were disseminated, with all the en-
thusiasm of an exalted imagination. He thought that
liberty would be gained by obtaining some concessions
from the king, whom he loved and venerated. Madame
de Beauharnais' self-love was much flattered by the dis-
tinction her husband had attained ; and the affection he
manifested for his two children, Eugene and Hortense,
almost revived her tenderness for him.

In 1793 the revolutionary excesses spared neither age,
virtue, nor merit ; and General Beauharnais, who had
valiantly defended his country, was calumniated, arrested,

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSETOINE. 291

and tliro"STn into prison. "\Mien in this critical position,
his wife, generously forgetting all his injustice toAvards
her, paid him the most affectionate attentions, and made
unceasing and heroic efforts to save him, by which she
rendered herself an object of suspicion. The general
was moved with a sense of gratitude and admiration at
this noble conduct, and wrote her several most affecting
letters, in which he strongly recommended his children
to her care. He deeply regretted his neglect of her,
and made every effort to show how sensible he was of
her many admirable qualities ; he also lamented the ab-
sence of his brother, who might have served as a guide
to the wife he had so often offended ; and he proved with
sincerity that his last thoughts and affections were with
her. Monsieur Francis de Beauharnais was in all re-
spects worthy of the love of his brother, and, although
they differed in political opinions, nothing could alter
their attachment. Each pursued an opposite path with
equal frankness, loyalty, and honour. The viscount
Francis de Beauharnais, brother-in-law of Josephine,
was always devoted to her interest, and she preserved a
regard for him which continued until her death.

In her turn, Madame de Beauharnais was put in the
prison of the Madelonnettes, where she received the last
letter of adieu from her husband, and heard the melan-
choly news of his death. This information, though ex-

292 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

pected, produced a terrible effect on her ; she remained
insensible for some time, and, on recovering, abandoned
herself to the most violent transports of despair, Avhich
caused the delay of her own sentence.

In recounting the circumstances connected with her
imprisonment to some of the devoted friends who after-
wards composed her court at Navarre, she frequently
remarked that, notwithstanding all appearances and
probabilities, she never suffered herself for a moment to
entertain the idea that her execution would really take
place, because she incessantly thought of a prediction
wliich had been made to her by an old negress in Mar-
tinique previous to her marriage.

One day, when strolling through the fruit-walk of a
coffee-plantation near Saint Pierre, she perceived several
slaves assembled round an old woman who was renowned
for telling fortunes. Mademoiselle Tascher stopped to
listen, when, on perceiving her, the sorceress uttered a
loud cry, took her hand, which she looked at attentively,
and appeared to suffer from extreme agitation. Amused
with her grimaces, she asked her if she observed anything
in her face or hand which was extraordinary. The old
negress replied that she did.

" Is it misfortune or happiness that awaits me ?"

"Misfortune! . . . oh, 3'es, and happiness also."

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 293

" You do not compromise yourself, my dear sibyl ;
your oracles are not distinct."

" I dare not render tliem more intelligible," said the
Avoman, raising her eyes towards the sky with a singular
expression. Josephine's curiosity was excited, and she
requested her to explain what she foresaw in her future
destiny.

" "What I foresee ? You will not believe me if I
speak."

"Oh, I assure you I am most credulous; therefore,
good mother, tell what I have to fear, and what to
hope ?"

" You insist on it, — then listen. You will be married
very soon, but your union will not be happy ; you will

become a widow, and then then you will be

Queen of France ; you will pass some glorious and happy
years, but you will perish in an insurrection." On pro-
nouncing these words the woman burst through the cir-
cle that had gathered round her, and hastened away as
fast as her enfeebled legs would permit. Mademoiselle
Tascher forbade the negroes to ridicule the prediction
of the old negress, but she nevertheless endeavoured to
persuade them that it was highly absurd, and that she
had no faith in it ; and, after laughing over the adventure
with her family, lost all recollection of it until the death
of her husband, when she confessed that, by constantly
25*

294 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

thinking of it, all that had been predicted to her ap-
peared far less absurd, and even possible.

A few mornings after the general's execution, the
jailor entered the room Avhich was occupied by Madame
de Beauharnais, the duchess d'Aiguillon, and two other
ladies, and informed the former that he was come to
take the folding bedstead which she occupied, to give it
to another prisoner. " To give it to another prisoner !"
exclaimed Madame d'Aiguillon ; " then I suppose
Madame Beauharnais will have a better?"

"No, no," replied the man with an atrocious smile,
" she will not require it ; they are coming to fetch her
from this to the Conciergerie, and from thence to the guil-
lotine." At these words her companions uttered violent
lamentations ; Madame de Beauharnais endeavoured to
console them, but, finding them inconsolable, told them
that their grief was unreasonable, for that she should
not only escape the guillotine, but should be Queen of
France.

"Why do you not then at once appoint your court?"
said Madame d'Aiguillon, almost angrily.

" Ah, truly, I did not think of it ; but I will make
you my dame d'houjieur, I promise you." Perceiving
so much sang froid in Madame de Beauharnais, the
duchess and the two other ladies' tears fell still more
abundantly, for they thought that she, like many other

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 295

victims, liad lost her reason. She assured them that she
was perfectly conscious of the improbability of what she
had said, and that she was not assuming a false courage,
but that she felt persuaded of the realization of the
oracle. Madame d'Aiguillon became suddenly faint,
upon which Madame de Beauharnais drew her towards
the window, which she opened that the air might revive
her : while standing there they perceived a woman
making signs to them which they did not understand.
She constantly held the skirt of her dress and pointed
towards it, till at length Madame de Beauharnais pro-
nounced the word rohe, upon which she signified that she
Avas understood ; she then picked up a stone and held it
up in her hand, when the prisoner cried jpierre. On
being sure that her meaning was perceived, her joy was
extreme, and, holding the stone and a portion of her
dress in the same hand, she gave them to understand by
her gestures that Robespierre s head was cut off. This
singular pantomime caused the captives great emotion,
as they had every reason to believe that the tyrant
Robespierre was dead. While in a state of anxiety
between hope and fear, they were startled by a noise in
the corridor, and a few moments after heard the voice
of the formidable jailor, and beheld their companions in
misfortune, who gave them the details of the event.
When empress, Josephine was desirous of keeping her

296 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

word, and expressed a wisli to have the duchess d'Ai-
guillon (then the countess Louis de Girardiu) as her dame
dlionneur ; but the emperor refused, because she had
been divorced. Some time after his severe notions abated,
and Madame Girardin was appointed dame dlionneur to
the queen of Naples, while that country was governed
by Joseph Bonaparte.

Upon the death of Robespierre, Tallien restored Ma-
dame de Bcauharnais to liberty, which service she never
forgot ; and after Napoleon Bonaparte became first con-
sul he gave a handsome pension to the intrepid citizen
who delivered France from that odious tyrant. Josephine
also undertook the charge of Mademoiselle Thermidor
Tallien's education, and honoured her mother with her
friendship.

Barras, the director of the executive Assembly, ob-
tained the restoration of a great part of General Beau-
harnais's fortune to his widow, and, by way of indemnity
for that which had been disposed of, gave four hundred
thousand francs for Malmaison, which he presented to
her. After her accession to the throne, Josephine spent
enormous sums in embellishing this residence, to which
she was much attached.

After General Bonaparte had dispersed the different
sections and parties in Paris, and seized their arms, Eu-
gene de Bcauliarnais, who was then only fifteen years of

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 297

age, presented himself to liim, and boldlj requested per-
mission to wear his father's sword. Bonaparte admired
his energy, which he publicly commended, and this cir-
cumstance strengthened the desire he had to see the
widow of the celebrated General Beauharnais, who was
living in retreat at Malmaison, assisting in the education
of her children, and devoting much of her time to the
study of botany, of which she was passionately fond.

He saw and became attached to her, but Madame de
Beauharnais hesitated some time before she consented
to mai'ry him. Her first marriage having been unfortu-
nate, she feared to enter upon a second ; she also
dreaded his ambitious character ; but the young con-
queror was assiduous in his attentions, and promised to
bestow paternal affection upon her two children, so that
she at length yielded to the solicitations of her family
and friends, especially the director Barras, and probably
also the dictates of her own heart, and in 1796 became
the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, who frequently
declared that she Avas the only woman he ever truly
loved.

Josephine was by no means beautiful, but her manners
and deportment were particularly graceful ; there was a
peculiar charm in her smile, and sweetness in her tones ;
she also dressed with an infinite degree of taste. When
her husband was 'named general-in-chief of the army in

298 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

Italy, and the young liero hastened to achieve the bril-
liant exploits which laid the foundation of his military
reputation, Madame Bonaparte accompanied him, and
was as much admired for her gentleness and goodness
beyond the Alps as she had been in France.

At the commencement of her marriage, Josephine's
sentiments of affection for Napoleon were not so strong
as they were a little later. His letters to her prove how
greatly he was enamoured of her, and how much he
regretted that she did not manifest a more tender pas-
sion for him. His jealousy, which he carried to an
extreme degree, manifested itself, on all occasions, and
was not relative to one man, but extended to all who
visited Madame Bonaparte. In order to insure domestic
peace, she was obliged to close her doors against her
old friends, whose society gave umbrage to her husband.
She supported unjust suspicions and violent reproaches
with a degree of patience and gentleness which entitled
her to the most sincere and durable attachment of the
man who, for a long time, refused to listen to his family
and ministers, when uniting to persuade him to renounce
her and contract an alliance with a sovereign princess.

When the conqueror of Italy carried his arms into
Egypt, Josephine retired to Malmaison, where she con-
tinued her researches in her favourite study of botany,
and built a very extensive hothouse, which she filled with

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 299

a most rare and valuable collection of exotics. Her
taste in this resi^ect was so well known throughout
Europe, that, although England and France were con-
stantly at war, the prince regent of England gave
orders that the envoys whom she employed to collect her
horticultural treasures should be respected and pass
securely.

When Bonaparte was promoted to the consulate,
Josephine profited by this new elevation to extend her
benevolence ; she became the depository of the sorrows
of all who approached her, had the names of several
unhappy French families erased from the list of emi-
grants, and acted in so maternal a manner, that Napoleon,
in one of his letters to her, wrote, " Si je gagne les
batailles, c'est vous qui gagnez les coeurs." This great
man acknowledged that the generous and amiable conduct
of his wife assisted towards his elevation ; and if Napo-
leon, who frequently listened to her useful advice, had
heeded her supplications, the duke d'Enghien might have
continued his innocent career in exile, and himself have
been spared the commission of a cruel murder, which
tarnished his glory and plunged France in grief. But
though Josephine deeply regretted that she had not suc-
ceeded in preventing that deplorable catastrophe, she also
vindicated her husband. " The emperor was cruelly ad-
vised," she said : " such a project would never have en-

300 QUEEN AND EMrRESS JOSEPHINE.

tered his mind ; but when the duke was once arrested,
nothing could prevent his execution, from a fear the
emperor entertained that he would be taxed with weak-
ness ; but I am sure he has more than once lamented
having been too promptly obej^cd. There are some
things," she continued, "upon which I should be silent,
that I might not expose the names of the true authors
of the death of the duke d'Enghien to infamy ; but history
will speak, and the truth will be knoAvn. It was for the
most part Creneral Moreau who was the cause of this
bloody transaction. I shall always detest those who
urged him to the crime : they have been his ivorst ene-
mies.''

On his return from Marengo, Napoleon gave the fol-
lowing prophetic felicitation to his happy wife : "Votre
fils marche rapidement a la postdritd . . . . il devien-
dra I'un des plus grands capitaines de I'Europe." A
prediction which succeeding events fully justified.

Josephine was consecrated empress of France by Pope
Pius VII. (Chiaramonte), and Napoleon placed the iron
crown upon her brow at Milan. A short time previously
to the coronation. Cardinal Fesch pronounced the nuptial
benediction upon the royal pair at night, in the chapel
of the Tuileries, by direction of the sovereign pontiff, in
the presence of a small number of witnesses, amongst
whom was Eugene de Beauharnais. Hitherto they had

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 301

only been united according to the ci\al form of marriage,
political circumstances having prevented the celebration
of the religious ceremony.

When seated on the throne, and "^vearing the double
diadem, surrounded by the love and glory of her illustri-
ous husband, and cherished with affection by the French
people, Josephine did not imagine that she would so soon
have been required to yield her place to a stranger. Her
son. Prince Eugene, Viceroy of Italy, was married to a
daughter of the king of Bavaria, upon which occasion
magnificent fetes were given at Munich, at which the em-
peror and empress were present ; and her daughter Hor-
tense was united to Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland,
by whom she had a son, who, unfortunately for Josephine,
died in 1807 ; for Napoleon was excessively fond of his
young nephew, whom it was said he intended to have
named as his successor ; and after the death of this prince,
the report of the emperor's divorce began to be circu-
lated at court.

In the apartment which the empress usually occupied
at the Tuileries there was a door which communicated
with the emperor's cabinet by a secret staircase, and
when he wanted to consult Josephine he was in the habit
of knocking at it himself, upon which signal she descended.
After the divorce became a subject of consultation, each
summons at that door caused her such violent agitation

VOL. II. — 26

302 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

that she could with difficulty respire, and on more than
one occasion she fainted from the fear of hearing the
confirmation of the separation she so much dreaded. At
length the Senate confirmed the dissolution of the
marriage, in 1809.

When the empress knew that her fate was decided, she
shed such an abundance of tears that for many months
her sight was too much afi"ected to enable her to endure
any light. Nevertheless, her determination was taken, and
she proved herself superior to her elevated station, by sac-
rificing her crown for the benefit of her country. Napoleon
ardently desired an heir, through whom he might insure
repose to France, and the throne to his dynasty : Jose-
phine had never had any children by her second marriage ;
she therefore consented to the divorce, and in 1810 de-
scended from one of the most brillant thrones in the
world. She also consoled and encouraged her children,
who were deeply afilicted at the circumstance, and, but
for her remonstrances, would have quitted France for
ever. She reminded them that the emperor had been
their father and benefactor, that they owed him un-
bounded obedience, and that they would add to her sor-
rows if they manifested any discontent to their sovereign ;
in fact, she used such forcible arguments that they not
only consented to remain in the country, but also to be
present at the marriage of the emperor and Marie Louise.

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 303

Josephine, to -whom the Senate by unanimous vote
granted the privilege of preserving the title of empress,
retired at first to her domain of Navarre, which was for-
merly the property of the princess of Bouillon, and pre-
vious to the revolution a most enchanting spot ; but she
was obliged to expend large sums in repairs, especially
in the restoration of the fountains, which, having been
neglected, caused much unhealthiness in the neighbour-
hood. In this beautiful retreat she held her court, which
was composed of devoted friends whom the emperor had
permitted her to choose. Her dame (Thonneur was the
amiable Madame d'Arberg, who had held the situation
of dame dupalais when Josephine was reigning empress;
Madame de la Rochefoucauld being at that time dame
d'honnew : but that lady having requested the emperor
to grant her the same situation with Marie Louise as she
held with Josephine, Napoleon was so indignant at her
ingratitude to the mistress who had loaded her with
favours and honoured her with her friendship, that he
not only refused her the place in the court of the new
empress, but also desired Josephine to dismiss her, and
appoint Madame d'Arberg ; being well acquainted with
that lady's great attachment to his discarded wife.

Surrounded by a circle of affectionate friends, who
preferred following her in her retreat to remaining at
the brilliant court of Marie Louise, Josephine occupied

304 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

herself with doing good and benevolent actions. After
her divorce she renounced several projects Avhich she
had nourished for a long space of time, to avoid anything
which appeared like inconsiderate expense, and from that
motive deprived herself of the palace she had intended
building at Navarre, the existing one being too small.
The emperor was very desirous that she should have it,
and offered to pay one half of the expense, but Monsieur
Berthaut's estimate of the charge amounted to three
millions of francs, and she would hear no more of it, but
contented herself with a very indifferent residence.

During her stay at Navarre the emperor corresponded
with her regularly every week ; some of his letters which
are published contain passages full of sincere affection,
proving with how much regret he must have consented
to part from her. Josephine's favourite residence was
Malmaison, where she spent the greater part of the
year. In this cherished spot Napoleon frequently visited
her and consulted her on political affairs. His anxiety
for her health and comfort was incessant, and he con-
stantly gave indications of his esteem by surrounding
her with a thousand little attentions.

At Malmaison, as at Navarre, Josephine was an object
of love and veneration to all classes, for her benevolence
was universal. She was passionately fond of flowers,
and had hot-houses which produced many rare and

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 305

beautiful specimens ; but she dispensed witb other grati-
fications to enable her to indulge that one ; and, that
she might not diminish the sums which she set aside for
the relief of the poor, or for the purchase of presents
which she destined for those she loved, she suppressed
her menagerie, and, with the exception of some favourite
kangaroos, and paroquets, all the animals were given
away. Her mornings were spent in visiting the poor
and discovering what they were in need of, or in reading
and entertaining musical friends ; in the evening she
was always brilliantly attired, and received the foreign
princes, ambassadors, and nobility.

Napoleon invariably spoke her praises with enthusiasm,
even at the Tuilcries, and in presence of Marie Louise,
who conceived such an extreme jealousy and aversion
for Josephine and all that recalled her to her mind, that
in Gioinir to Saint Germain she deviated from the usual
road in order to avoid passing Malmaison.

Josephine's joy at the birth of the king of Rome was
most unaffected ; she was at Navarre when it occurred,
on the 20th of March, 1811, and gave a magnificent
fete to celebrate the occasion. Her son Eugene brought
her the news from Paris, he having been present at the
bii'th, with the other princes and princesses. On offer-
ing his felicitations to the emperor. Napoleon said, " You
are going to visit your mother, Eugene ; tell her that I
2G *

306 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

am sure she will rejoice at the news of my happiness
more than any other person. I should have "written her
ere this, had I not been absorbed with the pleasure of
looking at my son ; I only tear myself from him to attend
to the most indispensable duties. To-night I shall acquit
myself of the sweetest and most agreeable of all ; I shall
write to Josephine." The next evening the empress
received a letter from Napoleon informing her of the
event. " Get enfant," he wrote, " de concert avec notre
Eugene, fera mon bonheur et celui de France." The
woman to whom he addressed himself was fully capable
of appreciating the charm of the phrase in which he so
affectionately coupled the name of her son with that of
his own.

Notwithstanding Napoleon entertained so great an
esteem for his first wife, his opinion of women in general
was unfavourable, and he had several adventures which
confirmed him in his judgment of them. He confided
all his infidelities to Josephine, who received his confes-
sions with the indulgence of a friend, although on some
occasions they caused her vexation. By this conduct
she retained the heart of the man she so much cherished,
and who frequently remarked " que rien ne valait Jose-
phine" although his conduct proved that he sometimes
forgot her. But the emperor never encouraged license,
or infringed upon the laws of morality by any public

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 307

examples of irregularity ; and tliosc who were known
as his favourites compromised themselves hy their extra-
vagance and indiscretion. The two who were most con-
spicuous as such were Mademoiselle Grassini and Ma-
dame Gazani, The former was a singer at the theatre
of Milan, and charmed him with the beauty of her voice
and the elegance of her form ; she was conducted to
Paris by the prince of Neufchatel, and Napoleon made
her rich presents ; but, finding that she was attached to
Rode, the celebrated violinist, he sent her back to Italy.
Having been stopped near Naples by a party of bri-
gands, she first endeavoured to work upon their compas-
sion to induce them to spare her valuables ; but, seeing
that all her entreaties were useless, and that they were
determined upon having the jewels that were on her per-
son, she begged them to take all she possessed but the
portrait of Napoleon, and in fact assisted the robbers in
despoiling the cherished image of the diamonds which
surrounded it. It is said that Mademoiselle Grassini
afterwards married Rode, with whom she went to
Russia.

The other favourite was Madame Gazani, the daughter
of an actress attached to the theatre of Genoa, the place
of her birth. In one of his journeys to Italy, Napoleon
was dazzled with the extreme beauty of her countenance
and her charming figure, and promised her an appoint-

308 QUEEN AND ElMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

ment for herself and her husband if they -would go to
Paris. She accepted his offer, and was immediately
made reader to the Empress Josephine in 1809. Her
husband was also appointed to the situation of receiver-
general at Evreux.

Madame Gazani was tall and very graceful, although
thin ; her complexion was dark, but her features were
faultless ; her black eyes were beautifully brilliant, ex-
pressing with promptitude all she said and all she heard.
She was not a proficient in music, but sung agreeably
and possessed an enchanting voice.

After her arrival in Paris, the favourite desired to be
on an equality with the dame du palais and the other
ladies holding situations at court, and Madame de la
Rochefoucauld endeavoured to oppose her in many things,
till at length Madame Gazani complained to the empe-
ror, who desired that she should not be interfered with.

Her influence did not, however, last long, for, two
months after her instalment at the palace, Napoleon,
dreading the power which her attractions might obtain
over him, was determined on parting from her, and, en-
tering one day roughly into his wife's apartment, he
said, " Chassez Madame Gazani; il faut qu'elle retourne
en Italie." But Josephine, who foresaw her own divorce,
sympathized with the favourite, whose similar position
to her o^vn excited her interest, and she replied, " No,

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 309

Sire, I will keep her with me ; it would be cruel to aban-
don a young woman to despair, after having torn her
from all her duties : I shall, perhaps, ere long be as un-
happy as she is ; we shall weep together. Suffer her,
therefore, to remain with me." The emperor yielded to
her request, but upon condition that he should see her
no more.

From that moment, Josephine, forgetting all the mo-
tives she had formerly had for aversion to her, loaded
her with kindness ; and when Madame Gazani accompa-
nied her to Navarre after her divorce, she remarked to
her friend, Madame d'Arberg, that, in the sad moment
of so cruel a separation, it was a gratification to have
a companion to whom she could speak of the emperor
with the same melancholy pleasure as she would listen,
and who entertained the same sentiments for him as she
did herself.

After the death of Josephine, in 1814, Madame Ga-
zani retired to her chateau of Conde, where she lived
peaceably and respectably until 1826, when she was
attacked with brain fever, on recovering from which she
imprudently bathed in the Iton, which caused her death.

The empress Josephine, in her honourable retirement,
at the age of forty-six, was surrounded with the esteem
of all Eui'ope ; and, possessing a fortune of two million
francs a year, she had ample means of satisfying her

310 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSErHINE.

benevolent inclinations. Besides numerous pensioners
to whom she gave considerable alms, she founded a school
for poor orphans, in which thej were taught reading,
writing, accounts, needlework, and the manufacture of
lace. She loved the fine arts, and encouraged those
artists whose prosperity had been obscured by the trou-
bles of the revolution or other misfortunes.

She not only purchased their works, but bestowed on
them all the favour and interest that is due to merit.
Animated by her, Gros, Girodet, and Gu(^rin cultivated
with success the pursuit of art ; Spontini, Mdhul, Paer,
and Boildieu obtained eminence as musicians ; and Fon-
tanes, Arnault, Andrieu, and Lemercier produced admi-
rable additions to modern literature.

On several occasions, such as her birthday, or the day
of her fete, the public exhibited testimonials of affection
and rejoicing, but Josephine always endeavoured to
repress them lest they should cause displeasui'e to the
empress Marie Louise. She was very desirous of seeing
the young king of Rome, and frequently regretted that
she should never have that gratification, feeling certain
that his mother would not consent to it ; but Napoleon
conducted her to Bagatelle, where the young prince was,
feeling assured that she loved him as much as if he were
her own son.

He often retired to an apartment, which she reserved

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSErHINE. 311

for him at Malmaison, where he Tvrote and transacted
state business ; and the empress, having preserved an
attachment for him which bordered upon worship,
never made use of the room in his absence, or suffered
any of the furniture to be moved, but kept everything
exactly in the same state as the emperor had left it.
The volume of history rested on the desk with the mark
in the page where he had stopped reading ; the pen with
which he had dictated laws to Europe retained the ink ;
and on the table lay the map of the world, upon which
he had confidentially pointed out to her his future pro-
jects and the countries he intended to conquer, and
which in some places bore marks which appeared to have
been made by a movement of impatience, occasioned,
perhaps, by some slight observation. Josephine alone
removed the dust wliich adhered to these objects, which
she considered relics, and none but herself might enter
the sanctuary.

Confiding in her sagacity, the emperor communicated
to her his intention to undertake the fatal expedition to
Russia in 1812. Fearing the result of this gigantic
enterprise, Josephine in vain entreated him to abandon
that project ; but his determination was made, and her
gloomy presentiments were realized ; from which time
her anxiety for the emperor and his prosperity kept her

312 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

in a continual state of agitation, which injured her
health.

In 1814 the entrance of the foreign armies into Paris
■was her death-stroke ; she not only had to deplore the
fall of the great man to whom she had heen united, but
also beheld her daughter deprived of her diadem, and
her son's glorious sword become useless in his hand.

Previously to the entrance of the foreign troops, on
hearing that the Empress* Marie Louise had retired to
Blois, Josephine hastily left Malmaison and retired to
Navarre, in a state of melancholy and despair which her
attendants vainly endeavoured to tranquillize. When
arrived there, the ladies of her household remarked that
she sought solitude, and spent the greater portion of her
time in reading and re-reading the letters she had at
different times received from the emperor, one of which
she carried for many days in her bosom.*

Iler situation was most distressing, for in the calm of
the chateau of Navarre she was ignorant of what she had

••■■■ It was the last letter that the Emperor wrote from Brienne, in
which he says, amongst other things, " Ea revoj^ant ces lieux, oil
j'ai passe ma premiere enfance, et comparantl'etat paisible oiij'etais
alors a I'agitation et aux terreurs que j'cprouve auj ourd'hui, je me
suis dit bien des fois, J'ai cherche dans plusieurs combats a rencon-
trer la mort ; je ne puis plus la redouter ; elle serait anjom-d'hui un
bienfait pour moi ; . . . . raais je voudras revoir une seule fois Jose-
phine !"

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 313

to fear, or what to hope. Those Avho followed her from
Malmaison could not, however, conceal from her the fact
that the capital had yielded, that the allied sovereigns
had entered, and that Napoleon had retired to Fontaine-
bleau.*

«The following is a letter -wliich Napoleon wrote to her from that
town : —

"A V Imperatrice Josephine, & Malmaison.
" Chere Josephine, '^ Fontainebleau, IQ Avril, 1814.

" Je vous ai ^crit le 8 de ce mois (c'etait un Vendredi), et peut-etre
n'avez-vous pas re^u ma lettre: on se battait encore; il est possible
qu'on I'ait interceptee ; maintenant les communications doivent etre
retablie. J'ai pris mon parti : je ne doute pas que ce billet ne vous
parvienne. Je ne vous rep^terai pas ce que je vous disais. Je me
plaignais alors de ma situation : aujourd'hui je m'en felicite, j'ai la
tete et I'esprit d^barasses d'un poids ^norme ; ma chute est grande,
mais au moins elle est utile, a ce qu'ils disent — Je vols dans ma rc-
traite substituer la plume a r^p6e. L'histoire de mon r^gne sera
curieuse ; on ne m'a vu que de profil, j e me montrerai tout entire. Que
de choses n'ai-je pas a faire connaitre ! Que d'hommes dont on a une
fausse opinion ! . . . J'ai combl^ de bienfaitsdes milliers de misera-
bles ! qu'ont-ils fait dernibrement de moi ! . . . . — Us m'ont tous
ti'ahi, oui, tous ; j'excepte de ce nombre ce bon Eugene, si digne de
vous et de moi. Puisse-t-il etre heureux sous unroi fait pour appre-
cier les sentimens de la nature et de I'honneur! — Adieu, ma chore
JosL'phine ! resignez-vous ainsi que moi, et ne perdez jamais le souve-
nir de celui qui ne vous a jamais oublice, et ne vous oubliera jamais.
Adieu, Josdphine ! "NAPOLEON.

" r. S. J'attends de vos nouvelles a Tile d'Elbe : je ne me porte
pas bien."

VOL. IL— 27

314 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

On learning that terrible catastrophe which decided
the fate of the emperor, Josephine became insensible, and
was for some hours attacked with fainting fits. A sad
silence reigned throughout the chateau, and her attend-
ants were overcome with melancholy consternation. At
length, recovering her strength and energy, she exclaimed,
" I ought not to remain here, my presence is necessary
to the emperor ; I shall fulfil the duty of Marie Louise !
Since she has abandoned him, I will remain with him. I
only agreed to separate from him while he was happy ;
noiv I am sure he expects me." After which tears came
to console her heart, which was breaking with the weight
and sadness of her thoughts. She then said to Monsieur
Beaumont, " You will however remain here with me until
the allied sovereigns inform me of their intentions towards
me ; I am certain they will render all due homage to the
first wife of Napoleon." During her short stay at Na-
varre she was constantly engaged in writing or convers-
ing on the political position of France, and the words,
" Ah ! s'il m'avait ^cout^ !" often escaped her lips with
a sigh.

Some days after her arrival at Navarre she received a
letter from the allied sovereigns, who expressed a wish to
visit her at Malmaison. This mark of consideration
deeply afiected her, but at first she hesitated to accept
the invitation, thinking that Napoleon's first wife shouhl

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 315

henceforward be invisible to all eves. But powerful con-
siderations (for the welfare of her children) induced her
once more to return and do the honours of Malmaison.

On returning to her beloved residence, she found that
a guard of honour had been placed there ; her property
had been respected, and she felt herself in the midst of a
new court embellished by the first persons in Europe. The
duke of Berri, fearing that the recent events must have
caused her great anxiety and alarm, sent the count de
Mesnard to assure her that he should be too happy to do
anything that would be agreeable to her, for whom he
entertained as much respect as admiration.

The Emperor Alexander testified the greatest friendship
for her and her children, and frequently dined with them
at Malmaison ; moreover, her son Eugene was most cor-
dially received by the king, Louis XVIIL, who embraced
him, and declared that as soon as peace was announced
he would make him a marshal of France, for that he con-
sidered him a brilliant example to the army ; and that
he ought to be surnamed the Bayard du siecle. He also
received Queen Hortense with great distinction, and she
retained the honours of her rank.

A short time after her return to Malmaison, Josephine,
whose health had been indifferent since the emperor's
exile, felt very unwell on returning from a grand dinner
which Queen Hortense had given to the allied sovereigns

316 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

at Saint-Leu-Tavernay. Her medical attendant, Mon-
sieur Horeau, administered some medicine ■v\'liicli com-
posed her, but it was evident to all her friends that she
suffered much. Lord Beverley and his sons breakfasted
with her on the following morning, when she remarked
that since Napoleon's fall the English alone had had the
generosity to speak of him with respect and admiration ;
and justly criticised those who, far from sympathizing
with him in his unexampled misfortune, presumed not
only to blame the errors which they had formerly justified,
but even invented others of which he was not capable ;
she also expressed her astonishment that Marie Louise
should have been restrained by secondary considerations
from joining the husband whom she professed to love
tenderly.

" Although I am no longer his wife," she added, " I
would join him to-morrow, if I did not fear to create
some disagreement between himself and the companion
he has preferred to me. It is above all in this moment
of his abandonment that it would be more agreeable to
me to be near him, to assist him in supporting his weari-
ness at the island of Elba, and to share his griefs."*

* The following is a letter which she addressed to Napoleon at the
Island of Elba :

" Sire, " Malmaison G Mai, 1814.

"C'est seulcmcnt aujourd'hui que je puis calculcr tout reteudue du

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 317

Those TN^lio were acfjuainted with Josephine knew the
sincerity of her expressions. Her own sex, ahove all,
will unclcrstand the redoubled affection with which she
Avas inspired by I^apoleon's position. A great misfor-
tune has often served to reanimate a love which has

malheur d'avoir vu mon union avec vous cassoe par la loi ; et qtie je
gemis de n'etre pour vous qu'une amie, qui ne peut que gemir sur un
malheur aussi grand qu'il est inattendu. Ce n'est pas de la perte
du trone que je vous plains ; je sais par moi-meme que Ton peut
s'en consoler ; mais je me ddsole du chagrin que vous aurez ^prouve
en vous separant de vos vieux compagnons de gloire. Vous aurez
regrett^ non seulement vos ofEciers, mais les soldats dont vous vous
rappeliez les figures, les nonjs, les brillant faits d'armes ; que vous
ne pouviez tous recompenscr, disiez-vous, parce qu'ils ^taient trop
nombreux. Laisser de pareils heros prives de leur chef, qui
partagea si souvent leurs fatigues, aura 6t6 pour votre coeur une
douleur insupportable ; c'est cellc-lii surtout que je partage. Vous
aurez eu encore a pleurer sur I'ingratitude et I'abandon d'amis, sur
lesquels vous croyez pouvoir compter. Ah ! Sire, que ne puis-je
voler pres de vous pour vous donner rassurance que I'exil ne peut
eft'raycr que des ames vulgaires ; et que, loin de diminuer un attache-
ment sincere, le malheur lui prete une nouvelle force ! J'ai ^te au
moment de quitter la France, de suivre vos traces, de vous consacrer
le reste d'une existence que vous avez embellie si long-temps. Un
seul motif m'a retenue, et vous le dcvinerez. Si j'apprends que,
contre toute apparence,ye sids la seule qui veuille remplir son devoir,
rien nc me reticndra, et j'ii-ai au scul lieu ou puisse etre d^sorraais
jiour moi le bonheur, puisque je pourrai vous consoler, lorsque vous
y etes isolo et malhcureux ! Dites un mot, et jc pars.

Adieu, sire. Tout ce que je pourrais ajouter serait de trop. Ce

318 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

almost expired, and to render most women capable of
sacrificing all and everything to procure some consolation
for the man whose presence under happier circumstances
they had avoided, and it is therefore the more asto-
nishing that Marie Louise, who always manifested great
affection for the emperor, should have abandoned him in
the hour of his misfortune. As wife and mother, her place
was at Saint Helena : there she would have been more
powerful and more respected than in the pompous court
of her father, which was ill suited to the wife of an
unhappy and an exiled man. Her most zealous advocates
have never attempted to justify her on that point, and
doubtless posterity will condemn her, as many of her
contemporaries have done ; whereas Josephine will be
judged as she proved herself to be — the best of wives,
and the most eligible of the two women to have shared
the dirone, the basis of which was strengthened by the
love the nation bore her, and maintained (until his fatal
separation from her) by the glory of Napoleon's arms.

On t?ie 19tli of May, the emperor of Russia and the
king of Prussia having gone to dine with Josephine at

n'est plus pai' des paroles que Vou doit prouver ce que yous inspirez ;
et pour des actions, il me faut votre consentement.

" JOSEPHINE.
P. S. La Malmaison a 6t6 respcct^e ; j'y suis entouree des I'gards
des souverains (itrangcrs, mais je voudrais bleu n'y pas rester."

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 319

Malmaison, she determined, in opposition to licr physi-
cian's advice, to do the honours of her table ; she was,
however, so exceedingly unwell before the repast was
concluded as to be obliged to resign her place to queen
Hortense. From that moment her malady assumed a
serious appearance. The Emperor Alexander visited
her on the following morning, and, observino; her to be
much altered since the preceding day, proposed to send
his own physician to visit her, but she refused, from the
fear of disobliging Monsieur Horeau. Her complaint
was a species of gangrenous quinsy, which increased so
rapidly that on the evening of the same day she had
great difficulty in articulating. Every effort was made
to stop the progress of this frightful disorder, but in
vain ! The amiable sufferer bore her pain with exem-
plary patience, and by her affectionate looks endeavoured
to console those who surrounded her. She heard that
the celebrated flower painter, Redonte, had arrived at
Malmaison, to copy two rare and beautiful plants which
were in her hot-house, and signified that she wished to
see him. \Yhen he approached she gave him her hand,
and then gently repulsed him, intimating that she feared
her complaint w\as infectious. "Next week," she said,
" I hope to see you at work upon a new chef-d'oeuvre."
On the 29th of May she desired to receive the sacra-
ment in company with her children, who were absorbed

320 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

with grief at the frightful ravages which the disease was
making upon the countenance of their adored mother.
The emperor Alexander went almost daily to visit her,
upon which occasions she always thanked him for his
attentions with looks of gratitude, for the difficulty of
speaking increased to a painful degree. On the day of
her death he arrived at Malmaison at the moment she
had given her last blessing to her children, who, kneel-
ing beside the dying empress, could not address a word
to the Russian monarch, but their sobs expressed the
depth of their grief.

" At least," said Josephine, " I die regretted ; I have
always desired the welfare of France. I have done all
in my power to contribute to it ; and I can assure all
who now surround me in my last moments that the first
wife of Napoleon never caused the shedding of a tear."
These were almost her last words ; she expired on the
29th of May, 1814.

The remains of the Empress Josephine were placed
on a bed of state, surrounded by numerous wax-lights,
in a room which was hung with bkick ; a richly decorated
altar was raised to the right of the bed, where the mass
for the dead was repeated at stated hours ; and dm-ing
the three days that elapsed between her death and
interment, more than twenty tliousand persons paid their
last visit fco Josephine,

QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 321

The funeral took place with great magnificence, at
mid-day on the 2d of June, in the modest little church
at Ruel, the parish in which Malmaison is situated, and
was attended not only by all the high and powerful in
the land, but also by an immense population of the mid-
dle and lower classes, who assembled to manifest their
gratitude and sincere regrets.

The corners of the grave-cloth were held by the grand-
duke of Baden, who was married to Josephine's niece,
Stephanie de Beauharnais; the Marquis de Beauharnais,
her brother-in-law ; the count Henry de Tascher, her
nephew; and the count de Beauharnais, chevalier d'hon-
neur to Marie Louise. General Sacken, aid-de-camp to
the emperor of Russia, and the king of Prussia's adju-
tant-general, headed the procession on foot, followed by
a great number of foreign princes, ambassadors, mar-
shals, and senators ; different orders of fraternity in the
parish carrying banners ; and twenty young girls, dressed
in white and singing psalms, composed a part of the
cortege, the sides of which were formed by troops of
Russian hussars and national guards, while two thousand
poor of all ages closed the procession. It is calculated
that more than four thousand neighbouring inhabitants
had assembled near the church to pay their last homage
to the woman who so well merited the title of the mother
of the iioor and afflicted.

322 QUEEN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

Monsieur cle Barral, the archbishop of Tours, assisted
by the bishops of Evreux and Versailles, performed the
funeral service, and the corpse was deposited in that
part of the cemetery in which the three hundred persons
who perished in the Rue Royale at the marriage of
Louis XVI. were buried.

General Sacken was charged by his master, the empe-
ror Alexander, to inform Josephine's relatives who had
assembled at Malmaison to attend the funeral, that,
being profoundly afflicted by the death of the empress,
he was desirous of dedicating the thirty-six hours that
he had to remain in Paris to the society of the excellent
prince Eugene and his sister ; and he remained with
them until he quitted the capital.

The little church of Ruel was covered with black cloth
drapery on the occasion of her funeral ; no ornament or
inscription decorated the walls, but the tears of the
proudest sovereigns of Europe mingled with those of
the poor of France to pronounce the funeral oration of
the good Josephine. Her children afterwards placed
her remains in a magnificent tomb of pure white marble.
The empress is represented in a kneeling attitude, attired
in the imperial costume, and apparently praying for
France.

The only words engraved on this beautiful monument
arc, Eugene et Hortense a Josephine.

MARIE LOUISE. 323

EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT, MARIE
LOUISE.

Daughter of Francis II., emperor of Austria, and
of Marie Therese de Bourbon, princess of Naples and
Sicily, and niece of Marie Antoinette, Marie Louise was
born at Vienna, in the year 1791 ; she was a descend-
ant of Henry IV. of France by Philip duke of Orleans,
second son of Louis III., and by Elizabeth of Orleans,
who was married to Leopold duke of Lorraine. Marie
Louise was exceedingly well educated, loved study, and
was mistress of the French, Latin, and English lan-
guages ; she also cultivated music and painting with
great success. She was very fair, and possessed a digni-
fied deportment ; but, although very amiable to those
with whom she Avas intimate, her manners were formal
and cold in society.

In 1807 she lost her mother, and, her father having
contrL.cted a third marriage, Marie Louise would have
led a solitary and weary existence at the court of Vienna,
if her taste for the arts, and her industry in cultivating
them, had not enabled her to make rich acquisitions, and
provided her Avith an inexhaustible fund of amusement.

When Napoleon conducted his great and victorious
army into the heart of Germany in the year 1809,

324 EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT,

Francis II. quitted Vienna, leaving his capital and liis
daughter, the archduchess Marie Louise, who "was con-
fined to her bed by indisposition, in the power of the
French monarch, upon which occasion he paid great
attention to her, and bestowed on her much kindness.
Mary Louise frankly expressed her gratitude to the
magnanimous conqueror, and the emperor, who had de-
termined on his divorce, destined the young archduchess
to provide France with direct heirs to the throne.

He accordingly signed a treaty of peace with Austi'ia,
the condition of which was, the hand of Marie Louise.
On his return to Paris the dissolution of his marriage
was pronounced, and France was made acquainted with
the projected alliance with Austria, — an alliance to which
the nation had always a repugnance, which it formeily
manifested on the occasion of the marriaire of Louis XYI.
with Marie Antoinette.

In 1810, Alexander Berthier, prince of Xeufchutel
and Wagram, was sent to Vienna to conduct the princess
to France, and received her hand in the name of Napo-
leon, in a magnificent tent wliich was erected for the
purpose at Braunau, where her father gave her five hun-
dred thousand francs in gold before her departure. The
archduchess found all the ladies that were to compose
her court assembled at that place; they were chosen
from among the most illustrious and ancient of the no-

MARIE LOUISE. 325

bility, and at tlieir head was the queen of Naples and
the duchess of Montebello. All the Austrian ladies at-
tached to her service were admitted to kiss her hand and
then take leave of her; her head governess, Madame
Lazanzky, alone being permitted to remain with her for
a short space of time.

Each evening during her journey to France, instead
of taking repose, Marie Louise found a magnificent fete
prepared for her entertainment, and a page awaiting her
arrival with a letter and a present from the emperor.
At Soissons a camp was erected for her reception, at
which Napoleon waited to receive her ; and as soon as
he was informed of her approach, instead of conforming
to the ceremonials which he had himself regulated, he
sprang into the carriage of his betrothed, and conducted
her directly to the chateau of Compiegne, where she was
obliged from political motives to part with Madame La-
zanzky, to whom she was tenderly attached.

Magnificent fetes were prepared in Paris for the re-
ception of the young empress, who, brilliant with youth
and happiness, entered the capital in the triumphant car
of her illustrious consort, accompanied by a superb reti-
nue, in the midst of unanimous acclamations. The civil
form of marriage took place at the chateau of Saint
Cloud, and the religious ceremony was performed by

VOL. II.— 28

32d EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT,

Cardinal Fescli in the great gallerj of the Louvre at
Paris.

In the midst of all the pomps and rejoicings on the
occasion, an unfortunate catastrophe occurred, which
recalled to the recollection of the public the disasters
that happened at the marriage of Louis XVL A fire
broke out at the residence of Prince Schwartzenburg,
the Austrian ambassador, when numerous victims were
consumed, — amongst others, the Princess Schwartzen-
burg ; and the empress and several other ladies were
indebted for their lives to the courage and coolness of
Napoleon.

Marie Louise accompanied the emperor in several
journeys through France, and was universally welcomed
as the wife of Napoleon, though unanimous regrets were
bestowed on the excellent woman Avhose place she occu-
pied. They hoped to find in the empress, as in her pre-
decessor, that unalterable benignity, that gracious com-
passion for misfortune, that protection for the arts, and
that inexhaustible benevolence which solaced so many
evils ; instead of which, she was dignified and unbend-
ing, perfect in court etiquette, and mild, but heartless.
The courtiers truly had an empress, but the people of
France had no longer a mother. By degrees the enthu-
siasm which was displayed on her arrival abated, and
many who had left Josephine were eager to return to her,

MARIE LOUISE. 327

knowing that her heart was too generous to refuse par-
don, even for neglect.

The splendours of the throne did not dazzle Marie
Louise, who was an enemy to state affairs. Destitute
of ambition, she refused to listen to the counsel of her
mother-in-law, who advised her to take advantage of the
emperor's affection for her by initiating herself in the
affairs of state ; advice which she afterwards repented
having refused to heed, when her husband left her the
regency at that critical period when serious circumstances
required talent and energy proportionate to the perils
which menaced the state.

In 1811 the wishes of Napoleon and his vast empire
Avere accomplished by the birth of the hereditary prince
and king of Rome. Marie Louise was in imminent
danger, and endured cruel sufferings on the occasion ;
and the emperor, having been informed by the celebrated
physician, Dubois, that he feared it would be necessary
to sacrifice either the mother or the child, exclaimed,
" Sauvez ma femme ! peu mimporte le restc."

Li the year 1812 Napoleon resolved to make war with
Russia, and assembled all his allies at Dresden, to whicli
place Marie Louise accompanied him, and met her father,
who was at that time an ally of France. The ^clat and
splendour of the entertainments and ceremonies which
took place on the occasion surpassed anything of the

328 EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT,

sort that had ever before occurred ; and Marie Louise,
whose court was composed of kings and queens, ap-
peared attired in dresses which were literally covered with
diamonds.

But this grandeur was soon dissipated by the mis-
fortunes which the rigorous climate of Russia caused the
great army, the disasters of which shook the throne of
the conqueror. He, however, re-organized new forces,
and in 1813 hastened to defend the frontiers of France.
On leaving Paris Napoleon confided the regency to
Marie Louise, whose name was from that time inscribed
upon all the acts of government.

Though amiable among her friends and within the
confines of her court, the empress was far from affable
in public, and disliked participating in political affairs,
which the imperious nature of events necessarily imposed
on her, and which, as a wife and mother, she should
have made it a duty to accomplish Avith the energy which
the importance of circumstances required. Li that
position she should have endeavoured to rouse the en-
thusiasm of the citizens, to have sustained her dynasty
by rendering herself popular, and prevented the defec-
tion of the dignitaries of the empire by afiability. All
this Marie Louise neglected to do ; nevertheless, the
French valiantly defended every foot of their territory,
which was deluged with their blood. In vain Napoleon

MARIE LOUISE. 329

exhausted all the resources of his talent and genius ;
abandoned and betrayed, his army, which had hitherto
been victorious, was weakened by superior numbers.

The emperor hastened towards Paris, but in the mean
time a council was held at the Tuileries, and, notwith-
standing the strenuous opposition of M. de Talleyrand,
Marie Louise, who had nothing personally to fear from
the approaching enemy, yielded to timidity, and preci-
pitately abandoned the capital, which she had defended
Avith her brother-in-law, Joseph Bonaparte, with whom
she retired to Blois ; upon which the town capitulated,
and the allied sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, and Austria,
entered with their troops. Napoleon retired to Fontaine-
bleau, where he was forced to sign his abdication of the
imperial power ; and on the 20th of April, 1814, took
leave of his kingdom and his soldiers on his departure
for the island of Elba.

. At Blois the empress vainly endeavoured to continue the
acts of the regency; she issued a brilliant proclamation
which was impressed with a military and national spirit,
but Avithout success. General Sackcn, one of the Rus-
sian emperor's aid-de-camps, conveyed her from Blois to
Orleans, where he confided her to the care of prince
Esterhazy, who was charged to present her to her father
at the chateau of Rambouillct. After having received
her fiithcr's embrace, Marie Louise placed her young son,
28*

330 EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT,

the king of Rome, in his arms, but Francis II. ■was little
affected by her misfortunes or the claims of his offspring,
having silenced the voice of natui'e to lend a willing ear
to the insinuations of a dark policy, which had induced
him to assist in overturning the throne of his daughter
and grandson. This circumstance rendered his presence
in Paris so revolting, that he was coldly received on all
sides. If it was indispensable for him to visit that town
which his daughter had so ungenerously abandoned, he
might at least have arrived incognito, and not at mid-day,
surrounded by a brilliant staff. On his entrance not one
cry of welcome was uttered, not a hat was raised ; the
people seemed to have forgotten that he was a monarch,
and looked upon him only as a bad father profiting by
the misfortune of his child.

Francis II. sent Marie Louise to Austria, and assigned
her the magnificent and picturesque chateau of Schoen-
brunn for her residence. The treaty of FontainebleaUy
which maternal feelings ought to have urged her to reject
with indignation, secured to her the duchy of Parma,
Piacenza, and Guastalla, upon condition that she would
formally renounce all right to the crown of France for
herself and her son for ever.

In 1815, when Napoleon escaped from Elba and with
unprecedented success accomplished the audacious enter-
prise of re-entering France at the head of three hundred

MARIE LOUISE. 331

men, Marie Louise attempted to quit Schoenbrunn with
her son : but her measures were badly taken ; the police-
officers stopped her carriage, and the Emperor Francis a
second time opposed the prosperity of his daughter.

From that time she was separated from her son, the
duke of Reichstadt, who was retained at the palace of
Vienna, where he languished in delicate health until the
year 1832, when he died in the arms of his mother, who
repaired to that court for the purpose of seeing him once

again.

In 1816 Marie Louise took possession of her estates
of Parma, which the queen of Etruria having laid claim
to, the Holy Alliance only permitted her the temporary
enjoyment of ; perhaps it was also to punish her for her
attempted escape. Li those territories the archduchess
has cultivated her talent for the arts and literature, pro-
tected the learned, and executed some works of public
utility. After Napoleon's death, being deprived of any
habitual communication with her family, she formed a
private marriage with her prime minister, the count de
Niepperg, by whom she had two children.

This nobleman was the issue of an ancient family of
Wirtemburg, a skilful general, and an experienced diplo-
matist ; he was possessed of an agreeable person and
polished manners, but had lost an eye in one of the wars
which Austria was obliged to sustain against Napoleon.

332 EMPRESS, QUEEN, AND REGENT,

He was forty years of age when Prince Metternich
placed the administration of the government of Marie
Louise in his hands with unlimited power. Complaisant,
talented, and protected and patronized in all his actions
by the Austrian cabinet, he succeeded in pleasing the
archduchess, and made such rapid progress in obtaining
the confidence of a young woman who was separated from
her adopted country and the few French who followed
her after the allied powers of Europe had deprived her
of her exalted fortune, that she at length gave him her
hand.

The count of Niepperg governed the duchy of Parma
with talent and judgment for fourteen years, and died
in 1828. His marriage v\ith the archduchess not having
been declared, that princess still retains the title of the
widow of Napoleon the Great.

Marie Louise is condemned for two great faults, by
one of which — the having yielded Paris to the foreign
army — the ruin of the imperial dynasty was much acce-
lerated. Had she followed the example of her grand-
mother Marie Thdrese, by gaining the hearts of her
people and reviving their energy, they would have rallied
round her, and, like the Hungarians, have sworn to
perish for their queen. Certainly the daughter of one
of the chiefs of the coalition could not have had the
dread of being outraged, or having her palace plun-

MARIE LOUISE. 333

dered by the enemy, as an excuse for abandoning her
post ; and if, by the courage and perseverance of
his mother, the young JSfapoleon had succeeded to the
vacant throne of France, the foreign powers would not,
in all probability, have restored the Bourbons to the
government of an empire that had been so gloriously
obtained and so skilfully occupied.

The second fault for which Marie Louise has been
blamed is one which few women under any circumstances
would have committed, — the having declined to share
her husband's exile : by joining him she might have
softened the rigours of his captivity, and soothed his
days by the employment of her talents and accomplish-
ments. Perhaps the consolation of having a beloved
companion to assist in bearing the burden of his sorrows
might have lengthened the term of his existence, and the
arid rocks of Saint Helena might never have echoed the
last sigh of Napoleon Bonaparte.

It would be superfluous to devote separate chapters to
the reigns of Louis XVIII. and Charles X., who, when
Counts of Provence and Artois, Avere married, more than
thirty years before their accession to the throne, the
former to Marie Josephine Louise, and the latter to
Marie Th^r^se, both princesses of Savoy, and sisters,
who lived and died in obscurity and exile.

334 QUEEN MAE IE AMELIE.

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

Marie Amelie de Bourbon, daughter of Ferdinand
I., king of the Two Sicilies, and of Marie Caroline of
Austria, was born at Caserta in Naples, on the 26th of
April, 1782, Her education was confided to Madame
d'Ambrosio, a lady whose great merits are little known,
but through whose judicious instructions her royal high-
ness acquired the love of those noble and simple virtues
by which mankind both contribute to the happiness of
all around them, and insure to themselves a pure and
quiet conscience.

The Princess Amelia had hardly attained her tenth
year, when the course of her education and the happy
calm of her youthful days were disturbed by political
storms ; and, in 1792, a French fleet appeared in the
Bay of Naples, under the command of Admiral La
Touche Treville, and spread terror throughout her father's
court. Iler existence was one of continual alarm from
that period until the year 1798, when the French army
invaded Naples, under the command of General Cham-
pionnet, and she was obliged to escape with her august
parents to Palermo, where she remained with her mother
Queen Caroline during the Neapolitan revolution.

In June, 1800, her royal highness accompanied the

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 335

queen to Legliorn, and from thence to Vienna, and con-
tinued in that citj until 1802, bj which period the vic-
tories of Suwarrow in Northern Italy liad compelled the
French troops to evacuate Naples, and the queen and
Princess Amelie returned to that kingdom. Shortly
after her arrival, she witnessed the marriage of her
eldest brother, Prince Francis of Calabria, with Maria
Isabella, infanta of Spain, and of her sister, Marie
Antoinette, with the prince of Asturias, afterwards
Ferdinand VIL The latter union, which robbed her of
the society of a beloved sister, caused Marie Amelie the
most profound regret, and her sorrows were increased
by a recurrence of political misfortunes, when Napoleon
again invested Naples with a French army, and placed
his brother Joseph on the throne, which compelled her
father to quit the kingdom, and once more retire with
his family to Sicily.

In 1806 the Princess Amelie had to deplore not only
the death of the cherished sister, Marie Antoinette,
whose loss had cost her so much sorrow on her marriage,
but that of her two eldest sisters, Marie Theresa,
empress of Austria, and Marie Louisa, Grand Duchess
of Tuscany. At this period political events had caused
Louis Philippe, duke of Orleans, to sojourn in England,
and he established himself with his two brothers, the
duke de Montpensier, and the count de Beaujolais, in a

336 QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

quiet retreat at Twickenham. There, his name, his
virtues, and the charm attached to his adventurous
travels, rendered him an object of equal admiration and
respect to the English people, and of esteem and dis-
tinction to the English government. The tranquillity
of his existence was however disturbed by the death of
his brother the duke de Montpensier, who fell a victim
to consumption in 1807 ; and his brother, the count de
Beaujolais, having been attacked with the same malady,
the duke of Orleans determined to remove him to a
milder climate. Circumstances left him no choice but
that of Malta or Madeira, and the two brothers arrived
at Malta in the month of May, 1808. A short resi-
dence there having served to increase the languor of
the suffering prince, and the physicians having declared
that the air of Malta was pernicious to his brother, the
duke of Orleans addressed a letter to Ferdinand I.,
informing him of his situation, and asking permission to
transport his brother to Mount Etna ; but almost before
the king's reply could leave Palermo, the prince had
ceased to exist.

After paying the last sad duties to the count de
Beaujolais, the duke of Orleans embarked for Messina,
where he received the reply of Ferdinand L, which was
expressed in most flattering terms, and contained an
invitation to Palermo. There, in 1808, he first beheld

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 337

the Princess Amelie, who in her retirement cultivated
those precious qualities which can alone fortify the soul
in misfortune. The duke of Orleans was not long at
the court of Ferdinand before he remarked, and fully
appreciated, her eminent qualities; but at that period
the king, her father, was interested in sustaining the
cause of his son-in-law, Ferdinand YII. of Spain, for
which purpose he sent his second son, the Prince Leo-
pold, to that kingdom ; and the duke of Orleans, who
was desirous of seeing his mother, and of proving his
regard for the king, took leave of the princess he so
much esteemed, and accompanied her brother upon this
expedition. The princes were received at Gibraltar, but
the English opposed their entering Spain, and while
Leopold was retained in Gibraltar, Louis Philippe was
conducted to England.

In June, 1808, the house of his mother, the duchess
of Orleans, who resided at Figueras, was besieged by
the French, and destroyed by the bombs ; upon which
occasion that princess and her daughter, Madame Ade-
laide, were obliged to escape in the night, and take
refuge amongst the insurgent Spaniards. Under these
circumstances the duchess was desirous of placing the
Princess Adelaide under the guardianship of her son,
Louis Philippe, and therefore sent her to Malta, but on
arriving there, she was informed of her brother's dcpar-

VOL. II.— 29

333 QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

ture for Palermo, and thence for Gibraltar. The
princess repaired to Gibraltar, but was again disappointed
in meeting the object of her search and her affection ;
the duke had departed for England ; thither she went,
and happily met him at Portsmouth, at the moment he
was about to embark for Palermo, where the princess
who had Avon his affections still remained with her fa-
mily. Napoleon having placed Joachim Murat upon the
throne of Naples.

On learning the cruel position of his mother, the duke
of Orleans proposed to his sister to hasten to relieve her
from it ; but the commander of the frigate had received
express orders not to suffer the duke of Orleans to ap-
proach Spain, and a hazardous event enabled the brother
and sister to achieve their filial wish, at least to a certain
extent. They espied a little vessel near the coast of
Spain, and the Chevalier de Broval, who had been at-
tached to the family from their childhood, offered to leave
the frigate which conveyed the prince and princess, and
board the little coasting vessel. The proposition was
accepted, signals were exchanged, the Chevalier de Bro-
val reached the Peninsula, and repaired to the duchess
of Orleans, whom he conducted in safety to Port Mahon,
while the duke of Orleans and Madame Adelaide con-
tinued their voyage to Sicily, where they received a cor-

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 339

dial welcome from the king and f|ueen, and the Princess
Amelie.

A warm friendship was established between Marie
Amelie and the Princess Adelaide, cemented perhaps by
mutual sympathy for the misfortunes that had pursued
them since their earliest years, and increased by the
aifectionate attachment of the duke for both. The
Princess Amelie was not insensible to the excellent qua-
lities of her admirer, and her mother, Queen Marie Caro-
line, seeing that their hearts and characters assimilated,
and that her daughter's sentiments were in conformity
with those which she had inspired, united with the king
in expressing her approval of the union. The duke of
Orleans desired but one thing more to complete his hap-
piness ; it was the presence of his only absent relative,
his revered mother. lie therefore again set out with
the Princess Adelaide, and after a speedy voyage arrived
at Port Mahon, where he once more had the joy of em-
bracing the beloved parent whom he had not seen for
the space of sixteen years. The little family imme-
diately returned to Palermo, where they were anxiously
expected ; and once more united to all that was dear to
him, Louis Philippe received, with the hand of Marie
Amelie, a reward for his virtues, and a solace for his
past troubles. The marriage was celebrated on the 29th
of November, 1809.

340 QUEEN MARIE AINIELIE.

The ne^Yly-ma^l•ied pair for the first time enjoyed the
charms of a peaceful existence, which lasted until the
month of May in the following year, when the Spaniards,
a prey to the horrors of war, entreated the duke of
Orleans to assist them with his counsel and military
skill ; he therefore repaired to Cadiz, where he remained
until September, 1810, and returned to Palermo a few
days after the duchess of Orleans had given birth to her
son Ferdinand Louis Philippe, duke of Chartres (the late
lamented duke of Orleans).

In the bosom of her aficctionate family, the happy
wife and mother, untroubled by the political movements
that were agitating Europe, enjoyed all the felicity that
springs from a fond and well-assorted union, until 1811,
Avhen disturbances manifested themselves in Sicily, in
consequence of differences which arose between the
Queen Marie Caroline, and her allies, the English, who
desired to have the entire government of the island.
Two parties were formed, one for England and another
for the queen ; and notwithstanding the efforts of the
Neapolitan troops, who supported her cause, the English
obliged her to quit Sicily; and the good King Ferdinand
and his amiable daughter were compelled to submit to
the cruel separation.

Three years had expired, during which the duchess
of Orleans gave birth to two princesses, Louise Marie,

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 341

now queen of the Belgians, and Marie Christine, after-
Avards duchess of Wurtembourg, when the news of the
re-establishment of the Bourbons on the throne of
France reached the court of Palermo, upon which the
prince, who was desirous to revisit his native land, has-
tened to Paris, and was affectionately welcomed by the
royal family. He immediately after returned to Sicily
to conduct the duchess and his children to France, and
installed them in the palace of his fathers, the Palais
Royal. The closest union existed between the princes
of the royal family ; and Louis Philippe, who was ap-
pointed colonel-general of the Hussars, rejoiced over
the birth of a fourth child, Louis Charles Philippe, duke
of Nemours, born in October, 1814. The return of
Napoleon from the island of Elba was a new cause of
anxiety to him and the duchess; and the rapid progress
of that terrible convulsion induced the duke to require
his illustrious wife to leave Paris, and undergo a tempo-
rary separation from him, in order to secure his children
from the dangers that menaced all the members of the
royal family. Marie Amclie therefore quitted Paris
with her children on the night of the 12th March, 1815,
and repaired to the duke's former retreat at Twicken-
ham, where she was shortly joined by her royal husband.
On the 8th of March, 1816, the duchess of Orleans
gave birth to a princess (who died two years after at
29 *

342 QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

Ncuilly), and after the re-establishment of her health,
returned, with her family, to France, and once more in-
habited the royal residence of the branch of Orleans.
But the favom'ite abode of the illustrious pair was the
chateau of Neuilly, situated at some distance from Paris,
beyond the superb arch and magnificent avenue which
form the eastern entrance to the capital.

This charming spot will need nothing more to render
it interesting- in history than the circumstance of its
having been the one hallowed by the return of the exiles,
and the favourite dwelling of the most happy and illus-
trious of families. It was the constant object of care
and embellishment; ard, though by the quiet style of
its architecture it appears to shun the pomp of a royal
residence, is arranged with the most perfect taste, and
is both a classical and a sylvan retreat. There all ap-
pears disposed for tranquillity and study ; for the peace-
ful enjoyments of life and the games of childhood ; the
dwelling of princes and princesses ; and at the same time,
the abode of simplicity and Christianity.

Around the chiiteau of Neuilly extend vast gardens,
thick shrubberies, verdant lawns, shady paths, and gay
pastures. In this agreeable dwelling the princess Amelie
reared her young family ; there the young princes gayly
spent their vacations ; and there, beneath the eyes of a

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 343

fond mother, the princesses acquired tlie virtues for which
they are distinguished.

The duchess of Orleans frave birth to her roval high-
ness princess Clementine at Neuilly, the year after her
return to France ; and during the five succeeding years,
four sons, the dukes of Joinville, Penthievre, Aumalc,
and Montpensier, increased the happy circle.

She partook of the sentiments of the duke, her hus-
band, in considering a public education most advantageous
for her sons, and seconded his determination of placing
them at the college of Henry IV. Her eldest son, then
duke of Chartres, was a most distinguished scholar ; his
studies were extensive, his acquirements many, and, upon
the distribution of the prizes, none could count more
rewards or marks of approbation for his juvenile suc-
cesses. Alas ! those loved trophies of infancy, the gar-
lands so dear to former remembrances, are all piously
preserved by the aifectionate mother, whose joy and pride
consisted in the happiness of her children.

Near to the cabinet of the duke of Orleans at Neuilly
were the parlours of the duchess and Madame Adelaide,
the cherished sister of Louis Philippe, who shared alike
his misfortunes and his prosperity, and who, in her at-
tachment to him, has adopted all his family, in the bosom
of which passes her days, and in this happy union do-
votes herself to the daily performance of good acts. At

aM QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

the chateau of Neuilly also are to be seen the music,
drawing, and school-rooms of the princesses ; the studio
of the princess Marie, the little apartment of each be-
loved child, and the play-room, which often resounded
Avith merry peals of laughter.

In 1830 the duke of Orleans was proclaimed lieutenant-
general of the kingdom, and the revolution still fui-ther
progressing, Charles X. abdicated the throne ; soon after
which the firing of a royal salute announced to the in-
mates of Neuilly that their delicious retreat was num-
bered among the royal residences. The duchess of
Orleans was, no doubt, gratified by the establishment of
her dynasty upon the throne, and also convinced that there
was not one of the royal princes so capable of wielding
the sceptre of France as her illustrious husband ; but on
her own account, perhaps, there were some tears shed in
secret ; for it is easy to imagine that the cares of royalty,
and the anxieties attached to the crowm, must have cost
something to happiness. But neither the visits, the royal
receptions, nor the military guard, have altered the pri-
mitive simplicity of Neuilly. It is the spot of reunion
for the scattered family, and the Eden of repose when
the noise of the court is hushed.

In 1836 the duke of Orleans took a voyage on the
Mediterranean : and before his return to France, visited
Germany, where, at the court of Berlin, he beheld the

QUEEN MAIUE AMELIE. 345

young duchess Helena of Mecklenbourg, sister to tlie
reigning duchess : an attachment sprung up between the
youthful pair, and the prince, having obtained their ma-
jesties' sanction, made her an offer of his hand. The
marriage ceremony was fixed for the ensuing year ; and
the king, who determined upon celebrating it in the pa-
lace of Fontainebleau, issued orders for restoring a por-
tion of its ancient splendour to that magnificent resi-
dence. The rich paintings in the gallery of Henry II.
recovered the brilliant tints that had been concealed be-
neath the dust of ages ; the gilded door was once more
radiant ; the histories of Alexander the Great's exploits
and weaknesses were again to be seen delineated on the
Escalier du Roi ; the Salle des G-ardes, near the old
Pavilion de Saint Louis, displayed its heraldic frescos ;
Henry IV. 's superb chimney was repaired, and many
sumptuous and tasteful works augmented its magnificence.
Their majesties, accompanied by all the court and an
immense concourse of people, joyfully repaired to Fon-
tainebleau to witness the marriage of the illustrious pair,
whose destinies were so intimately connected with their
own ; and on the 29th of May, 1837, as the sun's last
rays fell upon the royal group and noble assemblage
who occupied the terrace, and upon the regiments ranged
in the court of the Cheval Blane, a distant signal an-
nounced the approach of the prince royal's bride ; shortly

346 QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

after she alighted at the foot of the great staircase which
conducted to the terrace, and was led by the duke de
Nemours to the king, who, on bestowing his parental
benediction, affectionately embraced his newly-adopted
child. The queen received the Princess Helena in her
arms, and a rapid interchange of welcomes and smiles
reassured the timid bride, and naturalized her in the
royal family. The marriage was solemnized the day fol-
loAving, and the fetes were magnificent ; but an untoward
accident, which occurred at the Champ de Mars in con-
sequence of the immense crowd that had assembled,
when several persons were killed, saddened the gayety
which had everywhere abounded. A grand ball that was
to have taken place at the Hotel de Ville, was adjourned,
and their majesties and the prince and princess royal
bestowed abundant aid upon the sufferers and their fami-
lies, for whom they expressed the deepest commiseration,
gave pensions to many, and distributed immense sums
among the poor.

The happiness that the queen enjoyed in the daily con-
viction of the regard and admiration her son and his
amiable duchess inspired was not, however, unsullied, for
there is no permanent joy on earth, Happy are they
whose paradise is within their own breasts ! Had not the
exemplary queen of the French possessed the peace which
a reliance on that Being in whose hand are our destinies.

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 347

and the assurance that the most beloved are the most
tried, she must have sunk under the anxieties and alarms
which the atrocious attempts against the lives of her hus-
band and sons have at different times caused her. But
other trials were also reserved for Queen Amelie. She
was called to resio;n her most cherished dauo;hter, the
amiable and talented Princess Marie, duchess of Wur-
tembourg, whose rare qualities were the charm and admi-
ration of all around her, and who was taken bj death
from her fond relatives in 1838.

On the 24th of August, in the same year, the young
duchess of Orleans gave birth to Louis Philippe, Comte
de Paris ; and on the 9th of November, 1840, to her
second son, Robert Philippe duke de Chartres.

On the 13th of July, 1842, a fatal accident spread
mourning over the royal family, who were summoned to
witness the last agonies of the heir to the throne of
France, upon whom the eyes of the whole nation, civil
and military, were turned with love and admiration.

The despair and desolation of the queen upon that
melancholy occurrence are beyond description ; it was a
mixture of firmness and weakness, reason and delirium.
It would be difficult to say whose sufferings were most
poignant, those of the distracted and weeping mother,
or of the august father, who opposed a dignified resigna-
tion to the most profound affliction. " 0 ! if it were but

348 QUEEN MAPtlE AMELIE.

me !" he exclaimed with emotion, as he pressed his dying
son to his bosom. "When the prince royal had breathed
his last, the king generously stifled his OTvn sorrow to
alleviate that of the unhappy queen ; he drew her away
from the chamber of death, and conducted her into a
contiguous apartment, where the ministers and marshals
were assembled, and who, in the excess of their com-
miseration, knelt around her and endeavoured to con-
sole her, when, with true patriotic feeling, which even
her agonizing grief had not suppressed, she exclaimed,
" What a misfortune for our family! and also, what a
terrible misfortune for France !"

After this fatal catastrophe her majesty gave directions
that the articles that composed the furniture of the
humble chamber in which the duke of Orleans expired,
should be conveyed to the chateau of Neuilly, and de-
posited there with other precious vestiges, as a sad but
pious souvenir. She also desired that a chapel should
be erected on the spot where the house stood, and the
building is now in progress.

The prince was buried at Dreux, by the side of his
sister, the princess Marie.*

* The burial-place of the house of Orleans is celebrated in history,
having several times been an object of dispute to valiant and fero-
cious chiefs. Beneath its walls the counts of Normandy and Char-
tres fought desperate battles, and the Counts d'Albret and Nevers
met in deadly combat. It was for a long time in the hands of the

QUEEN MAEIE AMELIE. 349

The good Queen Amelie, strengtliened by the conso-
lations which religion afforded her, was not only resigned
to her misfortune, but also contributed to the consolation
of the widowed Duchess of Orleans, to whom she is
fondly attached. That highly intellectual princess has
been, from her childhood, accustomed to deep reflection
and the study of serious authors. Her retired habits
have, in a great measure, rendered the superior qualities
for which she is distinguished, little knoAvn ; but the high
esteem and affection with which she has inspired her
august parents and all the royal family, and the attach-
ment unceasingly manifested for her by the prince royal,
are convincing proofs of her great merits. The solidity
of her judgment, her superior mind, her good sense,
and her inexhaustible charity, afford the best assurances
of the excellent education she is capable of bestowing
on ihe future king of the French.

English, from Tvliom Charles Y. eventually purchased it. Dreux was
a portion of the dower appropriated to Catherine de Medicis, from
whom it descended to her youngest son, the duke of Alen9on, after-
wards Henry III. It is celebrated as the spot in which the two great
captains Conde and Montmorency fought in the cause of religion,
and was besieged and taken by Henry IV. of France. The chapel
that contains the remains of the family of Orleans was erected on
the site of the collegiate church by the late dowager duchess of
Orleans, mother to his majesty Louis Philippe, three of whose child-
ren repose here.
VOL. IT. — 30

350 QUEEN MARIE AMELIE.

In conferring the most legitimate eulogy on crowned
heads there is a certain feeling of embarrassment ; but
it should not be a motive for withholding that which
serves both for precept and example.

Throughout the course of Queen Amelie's life, during
the epochs that were remarkable for great political storms
and the disasters that overwhelmed her family, in her
alarms for the safety of her husband and sons, her deso-
lation for the loss of her children, and all the vicissitudes
and troubles, public and domestic, with which her life
has been agitated, she has proved herself a true Chris-
tian. With her benevolence is an innate virtue ; she
has always practised it ; as wife and mother, she is an
example of tenderness and devotion. Simplicity is a
peculiar trait in her character, and the grandeurs of
royalty have no charms for her but those which enable
her to do good ; yet she never declines the responsibility
attached to the throne upon which Providence has placed
her; and although she would be happy in the enjoyment
of private life, she refuses the performance of nothing
which her elevated position requires of her. Noble
without pride, charitable without ostentation, resigned
but not weak, affable in manners and conversation, but
dignified in deportment and devout in the performance
of her religious duties, the queen of the French and her
exemplary court are the pride of all France, which con"

QUEEN MARIE AMELIE. 351

templates "with admiration the pure brilliancy of the
throne wherein the most perfect conjugal and national
virtues are united — an example bj which the royal pair
have acquired a celebrity that time can never rob them
of; proving that good sovereigns are even more immor-
talized than great ones.*

* It will scarcely be necessary to remind our readers, that the
important events of the Revolution of 1848, have occurred since the
publication of the London edition of this work. Events which have
entirely changed the position and fortunes of the last Queen of
France. — [Am. Pub.]

THE END.

1. #^ V A

.iHi

^"y^m^

..^^M^jR

y m

BHHhF^^^^^P

B' ^ir^. %■

^^IS^. ^

imiJU^

4

■=;:<

O
CO

CJ

O G)

CO

S

O rH

3q CO

University of Toronti
Library

DO NOT

REMOVE

THE

CARD

FROM

THIS

POCKET

Acme Library Card Pocket
LOWE-MARTIN CO. limited

^MlIP